Heartbeats And Music Sheets
by momoxtoshiro
Summary: A collection of H!E fics from me and my interpretations of how each episode could have been different (and arguably better). Kumiko/Reina fluff.
1. Sprint

**A/N: A collection of H!E fics from me because I just got in the mood for writing little things. There were be 2 chapters minumum (just unrelated drabbles), but if I feel compelled, I may write more.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Hibike Euphonium.**

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Chapter 1. Sprint

For a girl who wasn't terribly athletically-inclined by nature and physique, there was only so much that running around the school's track field could do for Kumiko before she started to turn red.

After several weeks of Taki-Sensei's extensive and rather unique training methods, she thought she would've gotten used to it by now.

But clearly that wasn't the case.

Hence why she'd set a goal for herself, a goal to run by herself for a few extra minutes after school was let out. She convinced the others to go home without her, and presently was doing her best to lap the track while simultaneously avoiding the sports teams that were practicing there.

"Gosh!" she wheezed, already breathless just halfway through her first lap. "Kousaka-san… makes it look so easy! How… does she do it?"

By the time she'd completed her first lap, she was convinced she was becoming delusional.

"I think… I can hear trumpets…"

Locating a vacant bench nearby, Kumiko staggered over to it and slumped down, already rather exhausted.

"Ugh, geez…" she sighed. "I just wanna get better at playing euph… so I can be on-par with Kousaka-san… I want her to be proud of me, too…"

 _Wait, what?_ she thought quickly. _I-Is that really how it is? Am I really pining for her to notice my effort that much?_

With another sigh, she closed her eyes, leaning her head back.

"I must be going crazy. I can still hear trumpets…"

And then - as if on cue - the sounds stopped.

Kumiko grimaced; the tune in her head had been nice in assisting her to nap for a second.

She was so focused on trying to produce that sound in her head again that she didn't notice the actual sounds of footsteps coming her way.

Suddenly, there was a presence beside her.

"Ugh, Shuuichi…" she groaned. "Why can't you just-"

But as she opened her eyes, she was met with two curious pools of violet.

"Waaahhh!" She very nearly fell off the bench. "K-Kousaka-san?!"

"Yes?"

The other girl ran a hand through her luscious black hair, letting it fall over her shoulder in strings of onyx silk.

"Wha-Wha-Wha-What are you doing here?" Kumiko peeped, scrambling to get back on the bench.

"This is the school campus. I can be here, can't I?"

"I-I mean, yeah of course! B-But uhm…"

She could never seem to hold a proper conversation with her. It was like a curse.

Reina tilted her head curiously, then shrugged.

"I was just practicing a bit before going home." She flashed her glance downward, and Kumiko followed it, noticing the trumpet that had been placed on the bench between them.

"Ah! So I wasn't imagining it! That was you playing again!"

"I guess it was."

"Ahh, I see. I was just practicing my running so I could do it better when Taki-Sensei next asks us to do it! I just ran a whole lap!" She said this proudly, puffing out her chest - pitiful as it might've been.

Reina merely blinked and nodded.

"That's good. You're practicing in your own way."

"Y-Yeah… you, too, Kousaka-san! Thanks for your hard work!"

"I'll join you."

"…Eh?"

"I'll run a few laps with you."

Silence.

Then-

"R-Really?!" Kumiko shrieked. "I-I mean, you're more than welcome to! I didn't mean to sound rude! I just don't think I can handle more than one-"

"Then let's get going."

Without another word, Reina laid her trumpet down on the bench and stood, dusting off her skirt a bit and heading for the track, leaving a flustered Kumiko with no other option other than to follow.

They started on a jog, and it was all she could do to keep up with the dark-haired beauty. She did her best not to beg the other girl to slow down.

 _Kousaka-san's right! This is part of my training, too! I can't give up so easily!_

It was odd. After the next full lap, Kumiko didn't feel as enervated as she thought she should've. Rather, she felt almost empowered in a way, like she could keep running for another lap or two without issue.

By their third lap together, Kumiko was comfortably keeping pace with Reina, a wide smile on her face as she controlled her breathing and her stride.

"This is… actually kinda fun!" she exclaimed. "I didn't know I could run this much!"

Reina flashed her a quick glance, smiling softly before directing her gaze ahead once more.

A few minutes later, Kumiko was ready to begin her fourth lap, but she realized Reina wasn't beside her. She quickly turned around to glance back over her shoulder.

"Come on, Kousaka-san! I can go one more time around! Let's-"

But she cut off with a gasp when she noticed the other girl had stopped running. Reina's hands were on her knees, her long hair pooling out over her shoulders as her back heaved.

Kumiko quickly rushed to her side, placing a hand on her back, voice high with concern. "K-Kousaka-san? Are you okay? Sh-Should I get the nurse?"

Reina would've laughed if she had the breath for it at the moment. She lifted her head a bit, straightening her back with a chuckle on her lips.

"No…" she panted. "It's fine. Just give me a moment…"

Kumiko was anxious for that moment, her hand never leaving its spot on her classmate's back. When Reina straightened up once more, her long, dark tresses fell back into place, brushing over Kumiko's knuckles.

"Normally I could run for longer," she explained. "But I was practicing trumpet, so I'm a bit short of breath."

"Ahhh, I see," Kumiko mumbled. "I'm glad that's all it is and you didn't hurt yourself!" she smiled.

Reina inhaled a few more times to regain her composure, still feeling the supportive hand on the small of her back.

"Oumae-san…"

"Y-Yes?"

"You're really kind."

"…Eh?"

"I'd love to run with you again after school sometime."

Kumiko was silent, nearly dumbfounded. She realized her hand was still on Reina's back, and she quickly recoiled it.

"Really? I-I mean if you'd like to, then yes! Yes, we can do this again sometime!"

Reina offered a faint smile.

"Alright. Maybe tomorrow then."

"Ah, y-yes! Tomorrow sounds great!"

Another moment of silence passed between them. Kumiko had no idea what she should be doing or saying right now.

So panic seemed like a good option.

 _Wh-What do I do? Is this really happening? Does this mean we're-_

"Oumae-san."

"Y-Yes?"

The other girl looked away briefly, as though she wasn't entirely confident about what she intended to say next.

"You can… call me Reina…"

Kumiko thought her jaw might hit the ground. Her mouth hung open dumbly as incoherent sounds slipped out.

It was another long moment before she realized the other girl was waiting for a reply.

"Ahh, I-I mean if it's okay with you!" she squeaked. "Then… Reina-chan."

It sounded… strange, and yet perfect on her tongue.

Reina's lips had curled up into a content smile. Her violet eyes shimmered at the sound of her name, and her hand went up to pull through her bangs and hair, that split second revealing her forehead just before the hair fell back into place.

"Then I'll see you here tomorrow," she said.

She started making her way toward the bench to collect her instrument.

Kumiko was baffled. She felt almost as though she were living in a dream.

 _But no! This is real! I've got to-_

"R-Reina-chan!" She reached out, and with an excited hand, grasped the girl's sleeve. Reina paused and turned back, casting her gaze over her shoulder.

Kumiko felt the feverish blush clearly on her face.

"Y-You can call me Kumiko, too!"

Another moment of silence.

And then another smile.

"Okay," Reina said. "Kumiko-chan."

Hearing Reina say her name-

-it made her unspeakably happy.

With an elated giggle, Kumiko jumped forward, throwing her arms around the other girl.

"Reina-chan!" she squealed, just loving that she could say the name aloud.

Reina was clearly surprised, but she didn't push her away. It was only for a moment, but she returned the embrace.

Kumiko didn't even spare a second to be embarrassed about the close contact.

 _Reina-chan's so warm…!_

With a sigh, Kumiko closed her eyes and squeezed a little tighter.

Until-

"Mm… Kumiko-chan?"

"Hm? Oh!" With speed to match a startled rabbit, she released Reina and took a few rapid steps back. "Ah, s-s-sorry! I was just thinking how nice it felt to hug you and how warm you were and you smell so good and-"

She felt like she was going to explode.

 _She totally thinks I'm weird now! And she just started using my first name!_

"Uwaaah I'm sorry, I'm sorry! I didn't mean-"

"Kumiko-chan."

And then the warmth was back again, pressing softly against her chest as a pair of arms encircled her back. A familiar voice spoke lightly into her ear, and she could hear the smile in the words.

"I'll see you tomorrow."

With that, Reina let her go.

She walked back over to the bench and picked up her trumpet, ready to head off.

But not without one last flip of her luscious black hair and a wink over her shoulder.

Kumiko watched in bewilderment, feeling her jaw going slack again.

Then, a wide smile broke out across her lips.

"Right!" she beamed with a wave. "See you tomorrow, Reina-chan!"

Maybe running wasn't so bad after all.

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 **A/N: I wrote this one a few weeks ago, after seeing episode 6, so I guess it's a bit out of date now. But I'll have a second chapter for this by tomorrow!**

 **Please review!**


	2. Warmth And Rhythm

**A/N: Unrelated to the previous chapter, this is a continuation to the end of episode 8. Also a commission for heavyweaponsbear. Thank you so much! Enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Hibike Euphonium.**

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Chapter 2. Warmth And Rhythm

The tranquil night was warm and comfortable, accompanied by just the perfect breeze to cool things off.

The city from this vantage point atop the mountain was breathtaking to say the very least. The trees were wrapped in darkness, the sky above a vast ocean of black velvet, stars and planets winking brightly down on the slumbering world below.

The buildings of the town sparkled ten times as brightly, lights reflecting off one another to appear even livelier in the surrounding shadows. Cars sped by with distant flashes of yellow headlights, and street lamps gave off faint orange glows.

But overall, the light was a faint bluish color, the yellows bleeding out into the surrounding green forests. The air up here was still and calm, surely a contrast to the rush a few miles away.

But even despite the alluring city below and impressive sky above, Kumiko's eyes were only drawn straight ahead, to an even more stunning sight.

Reina's pure-white dress was dyed blue in the twilight shadows, a subtle color that drew the eye to it naturally, and with little effort. Even though she resembled a snow spirit, Kumiko didn't feel cold, not at all.

In fact, it was only warmth she felt, especially when Reina stepped up to her, pressing the tip of her pointer finger to Kumiko's forehead. It traveled down, tracing the bridge of her nose, then the tip, and then-

Her lip wobbled slightly as Reina stepped back. Her responses were a bit dazed as she listened to the other girl talk about becoming special, simply by playing the trumpet.

Kumiko felt she understood what the girl meant, but she wasn't sure if she understood _why_ Reina was saying it.

She wanted to be special. But to _who?_

As Kumiko pondered the question, Reina stepped past her.

And then, an angel spoke.

Or rather, giggled.

Reina's laugh was like a tiny silver bell, crisp and clear as though it were being rung over a stream in the middle of winter.

But again, Kumiko didn't feel cold. Only warm.

Something ticklish and soft seemed to curl up in her chest at the sound of Reina's laughter. It was lighthearted, nothing like the stoic persona she typically showed in school or during practice.

This laugh... it sounded like she'd remembered how to breathe freely again after years of never knowing.

Kumiko was overwhelmed with the thoughts of happily being spirited away by something so beautiful, despite the potential fears.

She would've been lying if she told herself she wasn't smitten.

She couldn't deny the way her jaw was hanging open, gaping and dumbfounded, as though remembering the pressure of that finger from not a moment ago.

The fabrics of Reina's dress flew up around her like a cloud, swirling for a brief second before they settled when sat down. Her image was incomparably beautiful, even if her words might've sounded a bit harsh.

"You definitely have a terrible personality, Kumiko."

Her smile was flawless, the apples of her cheeks slightly dusted with pink, something Kumiko could make out even in this limited lighting.

But she didn't take offense – not at all. She couldn't ever hope to be upset if Reina was smiling at her like that.

Kumiko managed to stand, taking her instrument along with her as she joined Reina on a higher bench. They came to a silent agreement that their ankles were aching from the hike, so they removed their shoes.

As they prepared their respective instruments, Kumiko didn't realize when her knee brushed against Reina's until it was too late.

But the black-haired beauty didn't mind. Her bare foot bumped into Kumiko's a moment later, making the brunette blush slightly. Reina might've noticed if she hadn't been so focused on her trumpet.

Moments later, they were ready, voicing their plans on which piece to play. Kumiko pressed her mouth to the mouthpiece, finding her lips were still tingling with the presence of Reina's fingertip.

She shook her head a bit to dislodge the thoughts, then looked to her left.

She watched as Reina prepared herself as well, her chest deflating, then expanding as she took a breath.

Then, they started to play.

The melodies of their song wreathed around the space between them, gradually drifting out into the night. Their music danced over the town, carried on the breeze before the faint gust of wind dipped down to comb through their loose hair.

Kumiko stared ahead for a while, marveling at the sights of the vibrant town.

She didn't even fully realize when her eyes had strayed back to the left, seeking pale blue.

Reina's posture was as flawless as ever, ebony locks spilling over one shoulder as the rest cascaded down her back, like a waterfall of liquid night.

Somewhere along the lines, she was caught staring, but even then, Kumiko couldn't tear her gaze away from Reina's.

They played for close to twenty minutes, holding a small, private concert of their own, gracing the festive town with their songs.

Only when they realized how much the moon had shifted overhead did they come to a unanimous decision. They moved their lips away from the mouthpieces and took a few breaths.

Kumiko pretended to chew on imaginary ice to stretch out her aching cheeks. Reina was a bit more refined with her process, bringing a hand up to her chin and rubbing a bit.

Kumiko felt another bump against her foot, and she looked up into Reina's eyes. They were like two round pieces of sparkling amethyst, framed by a pearl-white face and onyx hair.

Once Reina had her attention, the black-haired girl murmured.

"We should start heading back."

Kumiko blinked, wiping her eyes to pull herself out of the slight trance she'd found herself in.

"Yeah."

They put their instruments away, securing the clips on their cases before reaching for their shoes.

Reina stood first, leaving her trumpet case on the ground for the moment as she stretched her arms up above her head and let out a long sigh. Kumiko watched her, then realized she was staring again and quickly turned her face away.

But a whir of motion and color had her looking back again before long. Reina twirled around to face her, her light blue dress floating up around her knees. She reached her hand down to Kumiko without a word.

"Oh." The brunette reached up and accepted her hand. "Thanks."

Reina pulled her to her feet, keeping hold of her wrist for an extra moment to ensure she wouldn't stagger. Kumiko didn't shake off her grip, not until it remained for over a minute.

"Ah..." she said softly. "Our shoes."

Reina blinked, as though she'd spoken in a foreign language. But a glance to the ground had her releasing Kumiko's hand.

"Right."

They crouched down to tend to their feet. Kumiko slipped her feet into her sneakers with ease, though Reina took a moment to place her ankles into the loops of her small-heeled shoes.

Once they were ready, the girls straightened up.

But before Kumiko could reach for her euphonium case, Reina beat her to it.

"Reina-?"

"You carried it twice on the way up, and I only carried it once. So I'll carry it twice on the ay back down."

It wasn't a suggestion. Kumiko had no choice but to accept.

"Okay. If you're sure."

She picked up the trumpet's case as Reina slid the euphonium onto her back.

Then, they headed for the path that had brought them here and started to descend.

The laborious trek uphill was a bit kinder to them on the way down. Reina kept one hand on the strap over her shoulder, and she used her other hand to hold out her phone, guiding them with the flashlight app.

They were much quieter on the way down than they had been on the way up, less talkative now that they'd discussed all they'd needed to for the time being.

Kumiko maintained a distance of a few feet between Reina and herself. Past the euphonium's dark case and the girl's black hair, she could only see several inches of the white dress.

Her gaze went down once more, trained on Reina's feet. Her pretty white shoes were stained with dirt and dust, and there were small red lines cutting into her skin here and there.

Kumiko felt that plenty of time had passed by now, and that it was about time to switch instruments. But she didn't want to wound Reina's pride by bringing it up so soon, so she held her tongue a while longer.

Almost halfway down, Reina's phone battery drained, and they lost their most significant source of light. The canopy overhead blocked out the best beams of moonlight, leaving the girls in almost total darkness.

If not for the light color of Reina's dress, Kumiko might've been concerned about potentially losing sight of her. About an hour had passed since they'd last been on this path, so it was significantly darker now.

But that didn't seem to be hindering Reina. In fact, Kumiko needed to pick up the pace a bit in order to keep at her side.

After that, they spoke a bit more often, only little phrases like "Watch your step here" and things of that nature.

A few more minutes ticked by, and Kumiko noticed Reina had started to breathe rather heavily, clearly affected by the weight on her back now.

Kumiko couldn't keep her mouth closed any longer. She reached out to lightly touch the girl's arm.

"Reina-" The name still felt a bit odd on her lips, but she liked it nonetheless. "Don't push yourself. Let's switch now."

The other girl paused for a moment, looking to the side as she panted slightly.

"Fine. Let's just get around this curve."

It was only half a dozen yards away, so Kumiko nodded, and again they started off.

The brunette trained her eyes on Reina's ankles, getting lost in the hypnotic pattern of her steps...

That consistent pace was suddenly interrupted a few seconds later.

Something – a pebble or a root or a crack in the pavement – caught on the heel of Reina's shoe. Kumiko witnessed firsthand as the girl's ankle twisted awkwardly, her weight shifting dangerously.

"Ah-!" With a short cry, Reina stumbled, the weight of the euphonium unbalancing her severely along with the steep angle of the ground here.

"Reina!"

Kumiko tried to reach out for her, and her fingertips brushed over Reina's silky hair. But she couldn't get a grip, and could only watch as the girl fell, pinned down by the weight of the instrument on her back.

Her body rolled slightly, skidding against the pavement, her pretty white dress staining with dust. Her fall only lasted for a few seconds, but it was surely enough time to hurt herself.

By the time Reina stopped moving, Kumiko was already rushing forward.

"Reina!"

Frantically, she placed the trumpet down on the ground before dropping to her knees. She knelt at Reina's side and quickly reached out to heave the instrument off of her back. Kumiko wrestled the straps off her friend's shoulders and put the case aside, relieving the pressure from the injured girl.

"Reina!" she cried again. "Are you okay?" Her hands fumbled for something to do, and she could only reach out to support the other girl's shoulders.

Reina coughed a bit, gasping for a few seconds to regain her breath after being winded by the fall. Kumiko put a hand to her back and rubbed in small circles.

"Ah, that was a nasty fall. Your dress is ruined..."

Reina sighed, lifting a hand to run fingers through her bangs and over the top of her head.

"It's fine," she said softly. "It can be washed."

"B-But still!" Kumiko squeaked. "I'm sorry. We should have switched instruments sooner."

"Then you would've tripped," Reina said. "I'm glad it happened this way."

"Reina!" she whined. "Don't say that! It was scary to see you fall like that."

Reina blinked, leaning back a bit onto Kumiko's hand for support.

"Sorry," she murmured.

The brunette sighed, a bit relieved now that the worst of it all was over.

"Here," she offered. "Hold onto me. I'll help you up."

She grasped one of Reina's hands, using the palm at the other girl's back to help keep her steady. Kumiko got to her feet, going slowly as not to rush Reina.

But just before the black-haired girl could regain her balance, she stumbled again.

"R-Reina!" Kumiko reacted quickly, stepping forward to catch the girl. Reina bumped into her chest softly, hopping a bit on one foot.

"Sorry," she gasped. "My ankle..."

Kumiko looked down, noticing one of Reina's feet was suspended in the air, and she was unable to put any weight on it. The brunette tightened her grip on the other girl's dress to keep her from falling again.

"E-Easy! Ahh, did you sprain it when you tripped?"

"...I think so."

"Oh, no..." Kumiko gulped, bracing one of her palms at Reina's hip. "You can't walk like this down the rest of the mountain! And your phone's battery died and I didn't bring mine so there's no way to call for help. And I haven't seen anyone else on this path all night, so I'm not sure if anyone will be passing by who we can ask for help. We can't stay out here all night!"

She bent her head forward to think for a minute. Her forehead brushed lightly against Reina's shoulder. She could smell the faint fragrance of her perfume, hear the breath on her lips...

Kumiko pulled back, still keeping her grip on the girl as she came to a decision.

"There's only one thing we can do..."

Reina blinked up at her curiously, wincing slightly as she was forced to put her bad foot down a little.

"What's that?"

Kumiko surveyed their surroundings, then nodded to herself.

"I'll... carry you back down."

A breeze slipped between them, and silence ensued for a moment.

Reina gave her a skeptical look.

"And what do you propose we do about our instruments?" she wondered.

Kumiko bit her lip before voicing her response.

"We'll have to leave them here, I think. We can put them in the bushes for now and come back in the morning to get them. I don't think anyone else will be coming this way tonight, and no one will have any reason to look into the bushes. Even if someone did find them, I don't think they'd steal them or anything like that."

It was the best option she could think of; she could only hope Reina would accept it.

The black-haired girl thought for a moment, pondering Kumiko's suggestion, weighing their options and possible consequences. She gave another small hop on her good foot, moving a bit closer to Kumiko for her support. The brunette felt her palms starting to heat up as she waited for the verdict.

At last, Reina sighed.

"I suppose that's the best option we've got as things are."

Kumiko nodded.

"Okay. I'll go hide the instruments, but you should sit down first."

Keeping an arm around the other girl, Kumiko got onto one knee and helped her to the ground.

Once she was sure Reina was alright, Kumiko got back to her feet. She picked up the instruments and walked a few feet off the path, depositing them into a large bush. Glancing around a bit, she made sure she'd be able to recognize the spot in daylight hours before hurrying back to Reina and crouching beside her.

"Okay! They're hidden! I'll come back in the morning to get them. Even if your ankle isn't better by then, I'll get your trumpet and bring it to your house."

Reina blinked, dipping her chin an inch or so.

"Thank you."

Kumiko smiled, remaining still for a moment, seemingly having forgotten the issue at hand. It was an expectant grunt from Reina that snapped her back into reality.

"Right! Okay. I'll carry you the rest of the way. Ah..." She flicked her gaze over the other girl. "H-How should I do it... Like a princess?" she mumbled. "That would certainly seem appropriate..."

"Kumiko."

"Y-Yes?"

"...Perhaps on your back," she suggested.

"Oh!" Kumiko clapped her hands together. "That's much better! I'm so used to lugging the euphonium around on my back all the time, carrying you shouldn't be a problem at all!"

Reina huffed a small breath, then looked away.

"Then... whenever you're ready."

Kumiko nodded, turning herself around and moving closer to Reina.

"Just wrap your arms around my shoulders," she instructed.

Reina hesitated for a moment, feeling a strange sensation in her chest, almost like a bird struggling to fly – fluttering.

Slowly, she did as Kumiko said, reaching her arms out to rest lightly on the girl's shoulders. Kumiko reached up, pulling Reina's hands forward around her collar. She had the girl hold onto her opposite wrist with the other hand securely.

"Hold on tight," Kumiko murmured.

She didn't see it, but Reina gave a small nod.

Once her arms were in place, Reina moved her legs forward a bit, until her knees were on either side of Kumiko's back. As she moved, Reina aggravated her twisted ankle, and she sucked in a sharp breath, her grip tightening around the brunette's collar.

Kumiko heard her plight and tilted her head back a bit.

"Don't rush," she soothed. "Take your time. It's okay."

Reina sighed, waited a moment, then tried again.

Her dress trailed on the ground all around her as she pressed her chest lightly to Kumiko's back. Kumiko was glad she was facing away from her, because she didn't want Reina to see her blush.

"Th-That's it. Just lean onto me a bit." She reached back, her fingers slipping over thin fabrics and soft skin. She was extra careful with Reina's injured ankle, making sure not to jostle her foot. Kumiko looped her arms around Reina's thighs, feeling her dress ruffle at the small of her back. "Lean forward a bit more," she coaxed her. "I don't want to stumble and end up hurting you more."

Reina did as she was told and pressed herself a bit closer to the girl.

Kumiko waited a moment, making sure Reina was situated on her back, and she gathered her bearings as well.

"Ready?" she asked.

"Yes..." Reina murmured. Her voice was right at the brunette's ear, and Kumiko could feel the tickle of her breath.

Reina braced herself as she felt Kumiko start to move, and she subconsciously tightened her grip on the girl's collar. She closed her eyes, expecting more pain in her foot.

But it never came.

Kumiko was very gentle as she stood, bending forward a bit to ensure Reina wouldn't slip off.

Once she was on her feet, she looked back over her shoulder, but was a bit startled when she found Reina's face so close to hers.

"Y-You okay?"

"Yes," Reina murmured.

"Right. Of course you are," Kumiko chuckled. "You said you liked pain, after all."

The response was a loud huff against the side of her neck.

Kumiko giggled a bit, then offered a small apology.

Slowly, she started to walk, maintaining her grip on Reina's thighs.

On her back, the black-haired girl wasn't sure what to do with herself. She could only keep her arms loosely in place around the brunette's neck, but she kept her back as straight as possible, her body only making contact with Kumiko's in the most necessary of places.

Kumiko could clearly feel that she was leaning back, Reina's weight pulling away in an awkward way. Kumiko didn't want to come off as rude, but it was a bit difficult to walk downhill in the middle of the night with a girl on her back – she couldn't afford the possibility of getting unbalanced.

"Ah, Reina?" she whispered softly. "You can lean against me more. Just relax, okay?"

Reina paused for another moment, until she realized she must have been hindering the girl.

Therefore, she slowly pressed forward, resting her stomach and chest fully against Kumiko's back. Inadvertently, she held her breath for a moment before finding her voice again.

"...Is this alright?"

Kumiko nodded.

"Yes. That's much better."

"I'm... not too heavy?"

Kumiko came to a halt, then let out a short laugh.

"Of course not! You're much lighter than my euphonium, Reina. Actually, having you on my back is a relief after that thing."

Again, she realized she hadn't really thought it through before she'd spoken aloud, but her blush was still effectively hidden.

Reina didn't respond verbally. Instead, she rested her cheek on Kumiko's shoulder, turning her face to one side.

Kumiko started walking again, but she felt how the other girl had grown suddenly still.

"Reina...?"

A pause.

And then-

"I'm tired..."

Kumiko's eyes went wide just seconds before a wide smile spread across her lips.

"Then just rest. I'll get you home. You can count on me."

The response was a small hum, nothing more.

Kumiko continued her trek down the path, occasionally pausing to readjust her hold on the girl. As she walked, she could feel Reina's soft breaths fanning out against the side of her neck.

For about ten minutes, there was nothing but silence and soft breathing between them, and Kumiko realized they were nearly at the bottom of the mountain. From there, it would just be a ten minute walk through town back to Reina's residence.

She persisted, making sure Reina was still holding onto her collar.

The night was quiet around them save from the occasional chirp of crickets or the whisper of a breeze.

Before much longer, Kumiko could hear the sounds of cars passing by not too far away, indicating they were nearing town.

At last, the ground leveled out at the bottom of the mountain, and Kumiko stopped for a break.

"Almost there..." she sighed. She took a moment to stretch out her ankles a bit.

When she was still again, she realized she could still feel Reina's breath against her neck. The warmth and weight on her back had become comfortably familiar to her by now, but there was something else she hadn't been able to distinguish until now.

She closed her eyes and focused on that faint rhythm, a soft pulse against her spine, and Kumiko recognized it as Reina's heartbeat. It was very slow, very light, much more lovely than the beat or rhythm of any song.

For some reason, Kumiko found herself smiling when she felt it.

"Reina," she whispered. "Are you asleep?"

The lack of response was answer enough.

With a small chuckle, Kumiko started to walk once more.

She followed the sidewalk, and soon the yellow glow of the streetlights came into view, splashing beams of light to guide her to town. The streets were a bit less hectic that usual with the festival going on, but the periodical rush of a passing car was oddly comforting after spending over an hour in that dark forest.

They passed a few other people, likely on their way home from the festival.

Kumiko realized that despite the minor mishap of Reina's tumble, she'd enjoyed their evening alone on the mountain immensely more than she knew should would have if she'd gone to the festival.

She walked on, realizing that all those times carrying her instrument really had helped her a lot for this short of thing. Reina was very light against her back, very soft, and very, very warm.

Certainly nothing like a snow spirit.

Just ten minutes later, Kumiko found herself outside Reina's house. Lights were on inside and she knew the girl's parents were awake.

At last, the brunette came to her final stop.

She waited a moment, once more able to feel Reina's heart thumping lightly against her back. She waited until her blush had faded before she turned her face to the side.

"Reina," she whispered. "Reina. We're here." She gave a small bounce to rouse the girl.

The breathing at her ear was interrupted by a small, tired sound.

"Mn..."

The blush rushed right back to Kumiko's cheeks and she promptly looked forward.

Reina lifted her head drowsily, her hands sliding up from Kumiko's shoulders to instead rest on top of her shoulders. When she realized where they were, Reina gasped softly.

"You... really took me all the way home?"

"Of course I did. You didn't think I'd just leave you somewhere, did you?"

Reina was silent for a moment, then changed the subject.

"Are you alright?"

"Me?" Kumiko squeaked. "I'm fine, don't worry. It's your ankle I'm worried about."

"That will be fine in a few days," Reina assured her.

"Ready to get down?"

"Just a moment."

Reina moved her fingers a bit, kneading them against Kumiko's shoulders. The brunette couldn't help but squeak at the small massage, Reina's fingers pressing in all the right places. She sighed blissfully and enjoyed the sensation for a moment.

Then, Reina moved her hands again, this time to either side of Kumiko's face.

Slowly, she leaned herself forward, tilting Kumiko's neck back a little until Reina could gaze down into her eyes.

"Kumiko..." she murmured.

Said girl gulped.

"Yes?"

She watched as Reina leaned down toward her. Her hands caressed the brunette's cheeks, the pads of her fingers rubbing in ginger circles.

Kumiko closed her eyes just as she felt a pair of cool lips brush against her forehead, over her bangs.

When Reina pulled away, she was smiling.

"Thank you."

Baffled, Kumiko nearly swayed, but she remembered Reina was still on her back.

With great care, she knelt down and helped Reina off of her. She turned around quickly, keeping her hands at either side of the black-haired girl's waist as she balanced on only her good foot.

Even injured as she was, Reina was still so gorgeous in that flowing white dress, her eyes sparkling...

Kumiko felt compelled to speak – just anything to keep her there a second longer.

"Reina..."

The other girl kept her arms on Kumiko's shoulders and she hobbled a step forward. A familiar finger then trailed up Kumiko's neck, up to her chin, traveling in the opposite direction from last time-

-but ultimately stopping at the same spot.

"Thank you," Reina murmured. "Kumiko."

She removed her finger from Kumiko's lips, replacing it with a breath...

The next thing Kumiko knew, their was a gentle pair of lips on her own.

It only lasted for a second, only for a heartbeat, and Kumiko needed to wonder if it had been real or not.

But her eyes had been open all the while, wide with surprise.

Reina pulled away, though her hands remained on the other girl's shoulders, and Kumiko kept ahold of her waist.

"Reina..." she mumbled. "You-"

"I said it before, didn't I?" she said. "It was a confession of love."

Kumiko knew it would have been very classy of Reina to turn away and simply leave her baffled there in the front yard. But as she was, she needed Kumiko's help hobbling to the door.

Once there, Reina rang the doorbell and waited for her parents to collect her.

But in the moment before that – their last moment alone – Kumiko pulled her into a gentle embrace. She didn't have anything to say; she merely wanted to feel that warmth again, that heartbeat...

Reina returned the embrace, then kissed her cheek.

Kumiko mustered up a bit of courage and did the same, holding her lips to Reina's soft cheek for but a second before they parted.

Their eyes met, their gazes conveying things words couldn't.

The night might've taken an unexpected turn, but it wasn't one either of them were regretting.

Not in the slightest.

They were excited for this, glad their feelings were finally off their chests, not only conveyed, but reciprocated.

Movement from inside the house was what eventually had Kumiko clearing her throat.

"S-So I'll bring you your trumpet tomorrow then," she said. "Make sure you put ice on your ankle. Don't strain yourself. You should get some rest."

Reina gave her that smile again, accompanied by that angelic, lighthearted laughter.

"Thank you, Kumiko."

"Th-Thank you, too! Reina..."

She just liked saying her name like that, without honorifics or uncertainties.

And Reina liked hearing it too, only from her.

Kumiko had one last thing she longed to say, though.

"A-And... Reina?"

Said girl tilted her head curiously.

"Yes?"

Kumiko kicked her shoe in the grass a bit, her eyes flicking nervously around until they met amethyst once again.

"Before, you'd said that you... wanted to be special," she recounted. "Well... you're _really_ special, Reina. To me."

Reina's eyes widened, and her cheeks flushed for a second. She leaned in and softly brushed their noses together.

" _Thank you, Kumiko._ "

She really meant it, from the bottom of her heart.

The door opened, and her parents stepped out, asking what had happened to her.

"I'll see you tomorrow then," Reina said as she turned to them, taking their hands for support.

Kumiko let her go, but only temporarily.

"See you tomorrow."

She humbly accepted the words of gratitude from Reina's parents, then watched as the three went back inside.

Just before the door closed, a wisp of that white fluttered before her eyes, and then it was gone.

A cool breeze danced around her, but more than anything, Kumiko just felt warm.

So perfectly, blissfully warm.

* * *

 **A/N: We can all dream, right?**

 **Please review!**


	3. A Day Of Rest

**This chapter was commissioned by angelontheground! Thank you so much!**

 **A/N: A direct continuation from chapter 2, mentioning a few events from episode 9!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Hibike Euphonium.**

* * *

Chapter 3. A Day Of Rest

When morning came, it was difficult for Kumiko to know whether she was awake or still sleeping.

All night, her mind had been filled with thoughts of Reina, replaying the events of the evening over and over again in her mind.

The images that ran through her head as she lie in bed weren't as vivid as the actual moments had been, but they served to suffice as small remnants of those memories.

The morning sunlight woke her before her alarm clock did, and as Kumiko rolled over to check the time, she found she still had a few extra minutes to spare.

So she closed her eyes again and just kept remembering...

The sights of the stars dancing on the carpet of the sky, the reflective and sparkling city below, the feeling of the cool, refreshing breeze, the sounds of their music filling the air and floating down to the world below the mountain...

And then there were the memories of Reina.

The sight of her in that flowing white dress like a cloud, the feeling of her warmth pressed softly to Kumiko's back as she carried her home, the sound of her tired breathing...

And then the taste of her lips.

Kumiko whimpered to herself presently as she recalled that final detail.

She still wasn't sure if that part had _actually_ been real or just a figment of her wild imagination.

Perhaps she'd merely dreamt that part after all...

But when she reopened her eyes to glance up at her sunlit ceiling, the fingers of one hand strayed up to her mouth, brushing lightly against her lips. It was _definitely_ a different feeling than when Reina's lips had been on hers, and she could distinguish that much.

That kiss had kept her up for a good portion of the night, but now it was her motivation to get moving.

Even before her alarm demanded it, Kumiko pushed herself up and stretched her arms until her shoulders cracked. She ran a hand through her fluffy bedhead of hair, rubbed her knuckles over her eyes, and released a yawn.

It seemed every waking second would be filled with the same thoughts as every unconscious second had been. She just couldn't get Reina out of her head.

Not that that was any different from a usual day in Kumiko's life.

But now they'd _kissed_.

 _Doesn't that mean... we're dating...?_ she wondered.

A beat of silence passed, and she blinked, dumbfounded at the foreign thought of dating someone, especially a girl like Reina - so seemingly aloof and collected.

All Kumiko could do was end up debating with herself as she got out of bed and went about her usual routine.

She freshened herself up in the bathroom, changed into her school uniform, then headed to the kitchen for some breakfast.

She'd woken earlier than she usually did, for she needed an extra hour or so to return to the mountain and retrieve hers and Reina's instruments as promised. With her parents still asleep, Kumiko simply called out a soft "I'm heading out~" as she slipped into her shoes, and then hurried out the door.

The morning was warm and welcoming, the cool breeze of last night absent now as she set a quick pace along the sidewalk.

The streets were much busier now than they had been last night – cars, bikes, and other people on foot bustling about to arrive at school or work on time.

Since Kumiko needed to take Reina's trumpet back to her, she'd have to take a slightly different route to school this morning, so she was sure to text her friends to let them know not to wait for her.

She followed the designated path toward the mountain, which was now bathed in morning sunlight. The golden rays caught on the leaves of the trees overhead, and the wind made them sway, casting dancing shadows on the pavement below her feet.

There weren't many other people around here at this hour, so Kumiko indulged herself in a small skip, still unable to forget Reina's tender words to her last night.

Remembering her genuine words of thanks had Kumiko's chest fluttering all over again. Even that reminded her of carrying the other girl, having had her pressed closely to her for warmth and able to feel the steady rhythm of Reina's heart against her back.

Presently, Kumiko felt herself blush and was glad that no one else was around to witness it, and she hurriedly continued on her way up the mountainside.

She soon recognized the spot where Reina had fallen last night; there was an area of the gravel that was disturbed that told the story that only Kumiko herself and Reina knew the truth behind.

Her eyes caught sight of the bushes where she'd hidden their instruments, and as she approached them, Kumiko bit her lip in anticipation. No one would've found them, and if they had, they wouldn't have had any reason to take them. She was just nervous that if something happened to the trumpet, Reina would get very upset with her.

But luckily for Kumiko, both instruments were right where she'd left them, still safely hidden in their black cases.

She slipped the strap of her euphonium over her shoulder and picked the trumpet up in her other hand. Standing, she balanced the weight as best she could, then began back down the path.

As she walked, she had a bit of a hard time moving smoothly with both objects weighing awkwardly on her in contrast to the downward slope of the hill, but it didn't bother her all that much. She could only remember last night, when she'd carried Reina's much softer and lighter weight against her back, how warm and close they had been...

 _Gosh!_ she yelled at herself internally. _I gotta stop thinking about it! At this rate, I'll get distracted during class and get in trouble!_

She shook her head to clear it, then grunted a bit as she continued on her way.

She walked the same path she had taken the night before, the lively sounds of the morning rush hour reaching her ears within minutes.

She made the trek all the way back to Reina's residence without a hitch, and once at the front door, she put the instruments down in order to stretch herself out again and have a short rest.

She was nervous to knock on the door, afraid she might be interrupting the family's breakfast or something of that nature. But she also didn't want to wait too long and then end up causing a delay of some sorts if Reina was expecting her.

So she picked up the trumpet's case and walked to the door, pressed the doorbell, and waited. She heard motion from inside the house, so it was a relief to know someone was already awake and her arrival hadn't disturbed them.

Kumiko straightened up formally, expecting to be met with Reina's mother or father.

But she was pleasantly surprised when it was Reina herself who opened the door.

"Yes?" she said before her amethyst eyes widened in recognition. "Kumiko?"

"Ah, R-Reina!" she smiled, giving a slight bow. "Good morning!" Kumiko held out the trumpet to its rightful owner. "I went and got your trumpet just like I promised! It's not damaged or dirty at all, so don't worry."

"Oh. You really went all that way to get it?"

"Of course. I promised to."

"...Thank you."

Kumiko transferred the trumpet into Reina's possession, and only then did she notice just how heavily the other girl was leaning against the door frame. The brunette's eyes traveled down Reina's blazer and skirt to her feet. She was wearing both shoes, but her right foot was still suspended in the air a bit.

Reina had just finished placing her trumpet down onto the floor inside as Kumiko spoke up worriedly.

"How's your ankle?"

Reina blinked, as though she'd been expecting her to say something else, but cleared her throat to reply nonetheless.

"It's better. My mother iced it for me last night to bring down the swelling. I kept it elevated as I slept, and staying off of it has helped the pain lessen. I can put a bit of weight on it, so I'll be able to walk in school just fine, but they decided to drive me this morning so I wouldn't have to stay on it for longer than necessary."

"That's good," Kumiko sighed in relief. "So it's nothing serious?"

"Just a sprain. It will be fine in a few days."

"I'm glad!" With a beaming smile, Kumiko needed to resist the urge to embrace her, both for fear of unbalancing Reina and for fear of making her uncomfortable.

A small sneeze from the dark-haired girl snapped Kumiko back into reality.

"Ah, sorry. Don't keep the door open too long. I'll go now. See you at school!" She turned around and waved.

But just before she could take a step away, Reina reached out to grasp her sleeve.

"Wait." With a slight tug, she guided Kumiko back to the front door. "You just went all that way to get the instruments, and then came here to give mine back. You must be exhausted so early in the morning."

"Mm, not really," Kumiko shrugged. "I'm actually feeling pretty energized today."

"Let me finish," Reina grunted pointedly. "As I was saying, you're surely exhausted after all of that, so... why don't you ride to school with me today?"

Kumiko felt as though she'd misheard the offer. She blinked dumbly, her jaw dropping open a tiny bit.

"Eh? Y-You mean like... go in your parents' car with you?"

"That's what I said, yes," Reina confirmed. "After all, would it really be such a strange thing to do now? Considering what happened last night..."

Still leaning one hand on the door frame, Reina took a step forward, her other hand pulling Kumiko closer by the sleeve. The brunette could smell her faint perfume, and her cheeks started feeling warm.

"After... last night..." she repeated. "You mean, with your ankle?"

" _After_ that," Reina murmured. "I meant what happened here, at my doorstep. Perhaps you need a reminder, Kumiko?"

She leaned forward a bit more, never releasing her grip on Kumiko's wrist. There was a featherlight pressure of soft lips against the brunette's cheek, a contact that lasted only for a second before it was gone again.

Kumiko wasn't even certain if it had actually happened or not.

Until Reina looked her directly in the eye and spoke without hesitation.

"You're my girlfriend now, Kumiko. It wouldn't be odd if you came to school with me."

Had it not been for Reina's grasp on her wrist, Kumiko knew she probably would have fainted at the word.

 _G-Girlfriend... For real? This is real?!_

She shook her head, trying to appear as composed as possible, which wasn't really working out too well at the moment.

But she did notice the slight dusting of pink on Reina's cheeks as well; she was just as embarrassed and excited by the word, only she didn't reveal it so obviously.

But still, Kumiko was in disbelief.

"Girlfriend..." she repeated quietly. "Reina... I'm... you want _me_ to be-"

"Don't be stupid," the dark-haired girl huffed. "Of course I want you, Kumiko. I wouldn't have kissed you otherwise. And I don't think you would've kissed back if you didn't want me, too. Am I wrong?"

Instantly, Kumiko shook her head.

"No! Not at all! I _totally_ wanted you to be my girlfriend! For weeks now!" she blurted out.

Reina's eyes widened a bit.

"Weeks?" she repeated. Then, she smirked ever so slightly. "Then I guess that makes two of us."

Kumiko could only stare at her, mouth agape in shock. To know that Reina had been harboring romantic feelings for her as well for just as long as Kumiko had...

She wanted to jump into the air and sing.

But for now, Reina's grip kept her grounded, and Kumiko realized her hold wasn't just to keep Kumiko there, but to help Reina keep herself balanced. Kumiko moved a step closer, unashamedly reaching up one hand to rest it on the girl's shoulder in order to keep her steady. Reina flashed her an appreciative glance before restating her offer.

"So, you should come to school with me today."

There was nothing left to hide anymore, so Kumiko nodded instantly.

"Alright," she said, surprising herself with her own calmness. "I can carry your trumpet and your bag for you if you need me to."

"Idiot. I didn't ask you to come along so you could be my pack mule."

"But I'll still help if I can! You're still having trouble walking so it'll be hard for you."

"I'll be fine," Reina reassured her. "But thank you for your concern," she added.

Kumiko nodded, unable to wipe the enormous smile off her face.

Not a minute later, Reina's mother appeared and Kumiko greeted her politely. Reina informed her mother that Kumiko would be coming along with them today, and the woman happily agreed to the arrangement.

Kumiko was about to help Reina walk to the driveway, but she remembered that so far, no one else knew of their relationship other than the two of them.

So she backed off for the moment, carrying the instruments instead as Reina's mother helped her daughter to the car.

Reina sat in the back seat behind her mother, and Kumiko took the seat next to her classmate, placing their instruments in between them. After thanking Reina's mother again for driving her, Kumiko let her eyes stray to the side.

To her... girlfriend.

That was going to take some getting used to, that was for sure.

As they started the drive, all she could do was steal glances at Reina. Her face was angled away, turned to let her eyes gaze out the window at the passing scenery.

At one point, she ended up looking up at Kumiko, and their eyes locked. Faint blushes ensued, but rather than look away, both girls merely exchanged smiles.

Once they arrived at school and said their thanks once more to Reina's mother, Kumiko helped her girlfriend out of the car, keeping one hand at Reina's back. She slipped the euphonium onto her shoulder and Reina picked up her trumpet with her free hand, the other one slung across Kumiko's shoulders.

She could walk on her own if she needed to, and was able to put weight on her bad foot for the few seconds necessary in order to walk.

But if she could have Kumiko there to help her through it all, she wouldn't refuse the help.

And of course, Kumiko didn't mind, either.

* * *

For the remainder of the week, just two more days, Kumiko helped her girlfriend whenever she could, be it around school or anywhere else.

Whenever Reina was in another class, Kumiko found she didn't care for listening to her friends chattering about Shuuichi anymore.

She had better things to think about. _Much_ better things.

It was a bit of a challenge, but she did her best not to daydream too much during classes.

But when it came time for music practice, she was always rushing to Reina's side to help her move desks or equipment.

And despite Reina's little grunts of "You're being so obvious", Kumiko realized her girlfriend never refused her help or her presence.

* * *

By the time auditions were to be held, Reina's ankle had healed completely.

This meant that Kumiko no longer needed to help her walk around campus or stop by her house to check up on her. But she realized that now – with her status of "girlfriend" – she could technically do that anyway.

However, for the next several days, she resorted to just sharing quick, private kisses with Reina whenever they were alone, be it in the music room when they were the only two moving desks, or in the hallway when no one else was watching.

They didn't need to keep it a secret, but both just silently agreed that it might be best for now. With all the talk of boy crushes floating around the music room every afternoon, they were certain that revealing their relationship would only cause a commotion. It would be best to avoid that, at least until auditions were over and everyone could relax a bit again.

When the day of auditions arrived, Kumiko waited nervously out in the hallway with her euphonium, anxious to be called in for her turn. Reina had just so happened to pass her by and paused for a moment to wish her good luck with a kiss.

Kumiko fully believed it was all thanks to that kiss that she ended up being announced as someone who passed the following day, and naturally, Reina had as well.

But in between consoling the crying girls who didn't make the cut, Kumiko listened to the announcement that Reina would be playing all of the solo parts. She really wasn't all that surprised, but it was a rather admirable accomplishment for a competition like this.

After practice that day, Kumiko pulled Reina aside and kissed her in congratulations.

"That's amazing, Reina!" she beamed. "You've got a major part! You deserve it with how hard you work all the time."

"I'll just need to practice more," she said. "I want it to be perfect when we compete." Her determined eyes bore strongly into Kumiko's. "I want to win... For you."

Kumiko gasped softly, bashfully taking a step back. But she shook her head and moved in again.

"Me, too," she said. "I want to win for you too, Reina."

They shared another kiss, but it only last for a few seconds until they heard footsteps.

The two girls parted, shared one last knowing glance, then went their separate ways.

* * *

In the following days, Kumiko could tell Reina was working herself extra hard.

She was going off alone whenever possible to practice her solo parts, the lovely sounds of her trumpet often drifting around the campus and rarely pausing for breath.

Kumiko did her best as well, but even when she needed to take a break, she could still hear Reina playing. Her girlfriend really was talented, and very determined.

Both girls were fueled by a mutual desire – the desire to win – for each other.

But it was only two days after audition announcements when Kumiko noticed something... _off_ in the tune of Reina's trumpet.

The once-steady, consistent flow of her music was now interrupted by the occasional pause at all the most awkward of times. And it didn't happen just once or twice, but many times during practice that day.

It was so odd that Kumiko excused herself from her own practices for a moment to seek Reina where she tended to play by herself outside.

Kumiko followed the sounds of that flowing music, but only seconds later, it cut off yet again. When she finally caught sight of her girlfriend, she realized why that was happening.

Reina had her face buried in her shoulder, coughing repeatedly for a moment. She caught her breath, wiped her mouth on her sleeve, and then flipped through her music again and resumed playing.

But not ten seconds later, her breath hitched again and Reina was forced to pull away from the mouthpiece once more to cough.

Kumiko felt a pang of worry shoot through her as she stepped forward toward her girlfriend.

"Reina? What's wrong?"

The dark-haired girl looked up, clearly surprised to see her here. She shook her head and swallowed down the next cough so she may reply properly.

"It's nothing," she sighed. "My throat's just a bit scratchy. That's all."

"Are you sure? Should I get you some water?"

"No need. I already have some." Reina motioned to a half-empty bottle on the ground beside her bag.

Kumiko frowned, stopping just a foot away from the other girl.

"Reina... are you getting sick? You look a little pale."

"I'm not," she said matter-of-factly. "There's just a tickle in my throat. It's not that bad."

Kumiko narrowed her eyes.

"Then kiss me," she said.

Reina blinked at her, puzzled.

"Excuse me?"

"If you're not sick, then kiss me," Kumiko repeated. "No one's around to see, right?"

Reina hesitated, lowering her trumpet.

"I'd rather not..." she mumbled. "Just in case it _is_ something, I don't want you to catch it."

"So you _are_ sick!"

"That's not what I said," Reina huffed.

"Reina..." Kumiko released a sigh, but lowered her voice a bit. "You should take a break. If you don't, you'll only get worse. You can't get sick during the competition or else you won't be able to play properly."

"I know," she grunted, needing to turn away to cough again. "But I need to practice."

"You practice plenty!" Kumiko insisted. She stepped forward and took both of her girlfriend's hands, forcing Reina to lower the trumpet away from her lips. "Please, Reina. Don't push yourself."

They were the same words Kumiko had spoken to her the night of the festival, when Reina had tackled the challenge of carrying the heavy euphonium on her own. She hadn't listened then, and she'd ended up spraining her ankle and inconveniencing several people.

She didn't want something like that to happen again.

Therefore, she heaved a long sigh, then reached out to close her music book.

Kumiko perked up hopefully, and a moment later, Reina gave in.

"Fine," she sighed. "I'll call it quits a bit early today. I don't want to make you upset if you're worrying about me."

"Thank you."

Relieved, Kumiko pulled her girlfriend into a soft hug. She felt Reina jolt a bit as another cough ran through her, and Kumiko patted her back lightly.

"Tomorrow's Saturday, so you can just rest at home. If you take it easy over the weekend, then you'll be better by Monday."

Reina sighed over her shoulder, brown locks of fluffy hair tickling her nose.

"Alright."

Kumiko nodded and kissed her cheek softly.

She helped Reina pack up her supplies, then walked back inside with her to put everything away.

Reina was intent to take her trumpet home anyway, but Kumiko knew she would only keep practicing and working herself too hard if she did so.

Therefore, with a few secretive kisses, she convinced her girlfriend to leave her trumpet at school, placing it beside Kumiko's euphonium.

When it came time to part ways, Kumiko waved a bit before she went off with her friends.

But even as she walked off, she could still hear her girlfriend stifling coughs behind her.

* * *

It was nice to wake up the next morning and know she didn't have to go to school, so Kumiko simply rolled over in bed and indulged herself in being lazy.

She did as she'd been doing every morning for the past week – reminiscing about kissing her beautiful girlfriend.

But it wasn't long before those happier thoughts melted into concerned ones.

She hoped Reina's cold wasn't getting worse.

Kumiko roused herself shortly afterward, dressed herself in some casual shorts and a t-shirt, then headed to the kitchen for breakfast.

Just as she'd finished eating her toast, a buzz from her pocket alerted her to her cell phone. The second she noticed the number was Reina's, she swiped the screen and read the message in a hurry:

 _ **Sorry to bother you today. My parents needed to go somewhere, and they told me to ask a friend to come over. It seems I caught a rather bad cold after all. If you can't come, don't worry about it.**_

Instantly, Kumiko was out of her seat and hurrying toward the front door as her fingers scrambled to type a reply:

 _ **Of course I'll come! I'm leaving right now!**_

She was more than a little worried. Even though part of her had been expecting something like this to happen, Reina's description of "a rather bad cold" had her anxiously stepping into her shoes.

She explained to her parents where she'd be going and that she'd likely be gone for several hours. With that, she took off running down the sidewalk, bound for Reina's house.

The fact that Reina was sick enough that her parents wouldn't let her stay home alone was more than a little disconcerting for Kumiko.

And yet, she was flattered beyond words that Reina had chosen _her_ above all people to come keep her company.

 _Well, I guess it kinda makes sense_ , she thought. _Since I'm her girlfriend._

She was still ecstatic about the word, and it had her picking up the pace a bit more.

Before long, Kumiko was sprinting as fast as her legs could carry her, only stopping when necessary at a crosswalk. She made it to Reina's home in record time on-foot, and paused for a moment to smooth out her clothes and hair, attempting to appear to be somewhat presentable.

She stepped up to the door and rang that familiar bell, listening to the faint echo as it sounded inside.

It was another minute before the door clicked and opened, and again, Kumiko was shocked to see that Reina herself had answered.

"Kumiko..." Her girlfriend's voice was a rasp now, nothing like the healthier, stronger sound it had been yesterday. Now it was thin and sounded weak from overuse.

Reina was dressed in a dark blue nightgown, and Kumiko could infer right away that she'd been in bed all morning. Her face was even paler than it had been yesterday, and her hair was loose and messy, as though Reina had been too exhausted to brush it.

But her eyes still had a bit of their usual sparkle, tired as they were.

"You got here rather quickly. Don't tell me you ran all the way here?"

Kumiko nodded once.

"I was worried about you," she confessed. "I didn't think you'd get _this_ sick... Are your parents still home?"

"No. They just left. I told them someone was coming over."

Reina needed to pause to cough into her shoulder again.

Kumiko could tell it was much worse than it had been yesterday at school - her girlfriend's voice was now scratching and pained. She couldn't stop herself from reaching out to touch the girl's side by means of support.

Reina composed herself as best she could, then invited her in.

After apologizing for her intrusion, Kumiko removed her shoes and closed the door behind her.

Reina's house was somewhat bigger than her own, but was complete with all the same essentials. But she imagined that being all by herself in such a house when she wasn't feeling well seemed rather lonely, so she was glad to be here together with Reina.

Kumiko kept one hand at the small of her girlfriend's back for her as Reina led her inside. But another cough stopped her in her tracks.

Actually, it ended up being _much_ more than a single cough.

It turned into a string of coughs, a rather violent bout raking through her body suddenly. Reina swayed slightly, unbalanced by the unexpected assault, and only Kumiko's swift reactions prevented her from stumbling.

"Reina!" she gasped. She pulled Reina in close to her and patted the other girl's back.

Reina jolted relentlessly as the coughing continued, burying her face in her girlfriend's collar. She was breathless within seconds, unable to stop herself, her hands clutching tightly to Kumiko's shirt.

The brunette was at a loss for what to do, so she could only fret and rub Reina's back.

It was a few full minutes before the bout of coughs died away, leaving Reina gasping, her chest and shoulders heaving. Kumiko whimpered when she realized she was able to feel her girlfriend's heart pounding quickly.

For a moment, Kumiko supported her, rubbing her back and kissing her hair to comfort her as Reina panted for air.

At long last, Reina regained her breath and sighed, loosening her grip on Kumiko a bit. But the brunette squeezed her a little tighter.

"Reina... are you okay? How bad is this cold?"

"Just... a bug," she muttered. "We have some medicine... from the last time it happened, so I can just take that."

"You mean... this has happened before?" Kumiko fretted.

"Yes... Just once, a few years ago. It just consists of a lot of coughing. That's all."

"But that could damage your voice," Kumiko noted. "And it'll make it much harder for you to breathe properly when you try to play the trumpet."

"...I know," Reina murmured. "That's why... I need to get better before practices start again on Monday."

"It might not be that simple," Kumiko warned her. "If you need a few extra days to rest, then you should take them! There's plenty of time left before the competition, and you've already practiced so much. You'll be fine." She kissed Reina's cheek reassuringly. "Don't worry about the music, okay? Just get better first. For me?"

Reina's gaze searched hers for a moment before her lips curved into a tiny smile.

"For you," she agreed.

"Thank you."

Kumiko hugged her again. She felt a small shiver run through her girlfriend, and couldn't help but tighten her grip a bit more.

Reina coughed again, doing her best to stop it, but to little success. Kumiko simply held her for a moment until it was over.

"Come on," she murmured. "Let's get you back to bed."

Keeping one arm around her girlfriend, Kumiko ushered Reina to the small staircase. They took their time on the steps, going slowly until they made it to the top.

Kumiko took Reina to her room, then helped her sit down on the bed. The brunette only took a moment to appreciate the neatness of the bedroom, but her eyes ultimately went back to her girlfriend.

"Where's that medicine you were talking about?" she asked. "I'll go get it."

Reina was careful with her response, trying not to let the air hitch in her throat again.

"In the kitchen. The top drawer near the sink..."

"Got it. I'll be right back."

With that, Kumiko hurried off, not wanting to leave her sick girlfriend for a second longer than necessary. She found the bottle right where Reina had told her to look, and she ended up grabbing a bottle of water from the refrigerator to bring back upstairs.

She found Reina hadn't moved an inch, but was waiting expectantly for her return. Kumiko sat down beside her, then started reading the medicine bottle.

"Let's see... it says to drink a cap-full every three hours. Have you had any yet today?"

"No..."

"Okay, then you should have some now. I'll pour it for you."

Kumiko did as she said, removing the cap and then filling it with the liquid medicine. Reina tucked a strand of hair behind her ear as she waited.

Kumiko handed her the cap, letting her hand linger over Reina's to steady her. She put her free hand to Reina's back as her girlfriend tilted her head back to drink.

Reina just barely managed to swallow everything before she felt another cough coming on. Her shoulders started to tremble, and Kumiko quickly screwed the cap back onto the bottle and placed it on the floor, giving her full attention to Reina.

She patted the sick girl's back as the coughing started again, scraping Reina's throat painfully. Kumiko could only rub her back some more, leaning forward to kiss her temple to sooth her.

After a minute, that bout ended, and Reina wheezed a sigh. Kumiko held onto both of her hands and squeezed.

"You okay?"

"Yes..." Reina ducked her face into the sleeve of her nightgown and inhaled deeply. "You know, Kumiko..."

"Yes? What is it?"

Reina blinked up at her, and Kumiko could detect bashfulness there.

"My parents really did have to go somewhere today... but they didn't tell me I had to have someone come over. That was a lie. I just... didn't want to be alone. I wanted to be with you. That's all. So thank you for coming..."

Kumiko felt a smile working its way onto her lips. She was touched by the fact that Reina wanted to see her and would choose her above anyone else to spend the day with.

But it also meant her girlfriend was feeling very weak.

Even so, it said that Kumiko was the person Reina trusted most to let her see her like this.

"I'm glad you told me," Kumiko murmured, leaning forward to press her forehead to Reina's. "It makes me really happy to know that you'd trust me and wouldn't hide something like this from me. I promise I'll help you get better as soon as possible, Reina."

Kumiko kissed her cheek sweetly, one hand idly playing with her long, black hair. Reina nodded into her shoulder and murmured her thanks.

A moment later, Kumiko pulled back a bit. She knew there must be something more she could do for her girlfriend other than give her medicine and simply _be_ there for her.

"How about I make you some soup?" she offered. "It'll help sooth your throat. Do you have any?"

Reina pondered for a moment.

"I think so. In the cupboards. I can show you-"

"No, no, that's okay. I can find it. You just stay here and rest, okay?" With a light push to her shoulder, Kumiko prevented her girlfriend from getting up.

Reina said nothing, but simply nodded.

Again, Kumiko got up. She took the medicine bottle back downstairs with her and started searching for a can of soup. She mumbled another apology to Reina's parents for using their kitchen as she turned on the stove to begin.

In the meantime, Reina pulled her legs up onto her bed and leaned her back against her pillow, sitting up against the headboard to keep her airways as cleared as possible.

It was certainly nice to know she didn't have to be alone today...

She closed her eyes for a while, and only a few coughs interrupted her as she waited for Kumiko's return.

Before long, the unmistakable smell of soup wafted up into her bedroom.

Shortly afterward was the sound of footsteps, and Reina reopened her eyes just as Kumiko returned carrying a bowl of soup, her hands covered by mittens.

"Here you go!" she said merrily.

Reina couldn't help but entertain the thought that Kumiko looked just like a house wife.

 _Reina's_ housewife.

She cracked a smile at the thought, moving over a bit as Kumiko sat down beside her on the bed.

"Careful," the brunette warned her. "It's a bit hot. I've got the mittens, so I'll hold the bowl." She balanced the bowl in her lap and moved close to Reina, until their thighs were brushing.

"Thank you," Reina murmured.

She was about to reach for the spoon, but Kumiko beat her to it. When Reina gave her a curious look, the brunette sheepishly explained herself.

"Well... I don't want you to start coughing and end up spilling it on yourself. You'll get burned, and that won't be good. Plus... I've always kinda wondered what it would be like to... feed someone else..."

She realized too late how embarrassing the words sounded, and the blush crept across her cheeks and spread down to her neck.

Reina remained silent for a moment.

Then, she closed her eyes and parted her lips.

Holding back a delighted sound, Kumiko scooped up a spoonful of soup, blew on it to cool it off, then guided it over to her girlfriend's lips. As Reina swallowed, Kumiko waited for a verdict.

"Is it alright?"

Reina smiled.

"It's perfect."

That time, Kumiko's lips broke out into a wide grin.

For the next several minutes, she spoon-fed her sick girlfriend, pausing only on occasion when a cough or two would interrupt the process. She always waited until Reina was ready before continuing.

It wasn't much longer before they finally finished, and Kumiko put the empty bowl aside on the floor and removed her mittens.

"It's good that you could eat something," she said. "I think you'll be better by Monday!"

"I hope so..."

Reina still seemed a bit worried, so Kumiko decided to ease her mind.

She caught sight of a purple hair brush on a nearby desk and went to retrieve it. With a nod, she had Reina turn around so Kumiko could start brushing through her hair.

She started at the ends, then gradually worked her way up, making sure to press her free hand to Reina's back so she wouldn't tug any of the strands.

Within minutes, could feel Reina gradually relaxing, her shoulders slumping a bit as she leaned willingly back into Kumiko's touch.

It only took another moment for Kumiko to finish smoothing out her girlfriend's silken hair, and she put the brush aside again.

Slowly, she slipped her arms around Reina's sides, looping them around her stomach and gently pulling her back, letting her rest against Kumiko's chest. The brunette leaned back against the headboard, shifting her legs a bit to either side of Reina's body until she was comfortable, situating the other girl in her arms.

Her girlfriend didn't protest or make an effort to pull away.

Instead, Reina merely released a long, steady breath and leaned against her girlfriend, eyes closed. There was another small cough, and Kumiko rubbed over Reina's stomach gently.

But after that, the coughing didn't return.

Kumiko rested her chin atop her girlfriend's head, letting Reina slouch against her. She closed her eyes, feeling as Reina's hands reached up to press against her forearms, keeping her close.

Kumiko focused on her girlfriend, and was able to make out Reina's heartbeat again. It was much slower and calmer than before during her coughing fit, and Kumiko hoped to keep it that way.

She leaned forward a bit, just to kiss Reina's cheek again, snuggling into her shoulder.

She didn't want to break this tranquility, but she needed to know how Reina was doing now.

"Feeling any better?" she murmured.

Reina sighed, pressing back against her even more, as if to trap her in place. Not that Kumiko minded being trapped like this.

"Much better," she reported. "I'm in your debt."

"Silly, Reina," Kumiko chuckled lightly. "You don't have to repay me for this. As your girlfriend, I'm more than happy to do this for you."

Reina sighed, but Kumiko could hear the smile in her lips.

"Thank you, Kumiko..." She tapered off with a yawn.

But Kumiko didn't feel compelled to leave her – she'd be more than happy to stay for a while.

So she made herself comfortable, keeping Reina snug and warm in her arms. She closed her eyes for a while, relishing this softness, this warmth, this comfort. She could feel Reina breathing softly now, undisturbed by pesky coughs.

It wasn't long before her pulse dropped, and Kumiko knew she'd fallen asleep.

A glance at the clock told Kumiko it was only noon, and she probably had a few hours to relax and nap alone with her girlfriend.

So she indulged herself, sinking back into the pillows and cuddling Reina affectionately, holding one last kiss to her cheek.

At last, Kumiko drifted off into slumber, knowing that by Monday both Reina and herself would be back and ready to practice at their full potential.

* * *

 **A/N: Thanks for reading everyone! I may add more chapters, not sure!**

 **Please review!**


	4. Alone Together

**After watching episode 10 I just... I was too miffed NOT to write an alternate scenario to it. So imagine this as the events of episode 10, but also with a lot of things the anime never showed us. I use a bit of the same dialogue and stuff at first before branching off into my own interpretation (of what should have happened, in my opinion.)**

 **And it's also a direct continuation from chapter 3, and relates back to chapter 2 as well. So all of these chapters are pretty much connected (except chapter 1, but I guess even that could be chronological to the rest in some ways).**

 **A commission for justanothercalamity! Thank you ssososo much!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Hibike Euphonium.**

* * *

Chapter 4. Alone Together

The rest of Kumiko's weekend involved her constant text messaging of her sick girlfriend.

After she'd fallen asleep together with Reina in her room, she'd woken a few hours later and laid the other girl down in bed. She'd checked to ensure Reina didn't have a fever, and then bent down to kiss her forehead.

Reina's parents had returned home not long afterward, and Kumiko had left her sleeping girlfriend in order to greet and awkwardly explain to her parents what she was doing here.

She and Reina had yet to reveal to anyone else that they were dating, therefore Kumiko merely told them she'd stopped by to visit their daughter.

After that, she'd hurried home, sending out silent prayers for Reina's swift recovery.

. . .

The following day she'd been so worried, she ended up texting her girlfriend at an obscene hour for a Sunday morning, which resulted in Kumiko's flustered apologies when she realized she'd woken her up.

But Reina appreciated the concern, and had gratefully reported that she was feeling better.

Kumiko texted her on and off throughout the remainder of the day, both because she wanted to make sure Reina was alright, and because she was rather giddy at the prospect of texting her _girlfriend_.

By the time Monday morning rolled around, Kumiko was jumping out of bed and eager to meet Reina at school.

She was more than relieved to see her girlfriend there, her posture straight, her face a healthy and rosy pink, her amethyst eyes bright and attentive as ever. All in all, a very pleasant contrast to the sick girl she'd seen two days prior.

After greeting her, Kumiko got her girlfriend alone by the shoe lockers and gave her a quick kiss.

"I'm glad you're feeling better, Reina."

The dark-haired girl merely pressed her forehead to Kumiko's.

"Thanks to you."

* * *

Two more days passed, and they all trained hard in their ensemble practices for the upcoming competition.

The major event that once seemed so distant and impossible to obtain was now looming just beyond the horizon. Kumiko had to admit, it was more than a little intimidating.

In the past, she'd honestly never thought her group could achieve bronze, let alone anything higher than that. But now, they were really going for the gold.

Reminding herself of this fact on a daily basis served as a source of motivation to keep her focused on her music sheets.

But on the third day, the somewhat peaceful and hardworking atmosphere that had filled the music room dissipated like a warm breeze in a hurricane.

At the time, Kumiko had been setting up the blankets as Taki-sensei had requested of them. She'd been chatting idly with her friends when their teacher entered and announced his desire to get things started.

That was when her upperclassman spoke out against him.

Against _Reina_.

Yuko's outraged shouts and accusations filled the room, immediately shattering the calm atmosphere and plunging it into the horrible mood that arose with a heated argument. Everything felt stifling, like it was hard to breathe, and everyone was too terrified to budge.

Kumiko could only watch with her jaw agape as cruel words were spat at her instructor, though the intended target was someone else entirely.

Kumiko whimpered as she sought out Reina from across the room.

She'd frozen stiff, her hands shaking on the chair she'd been in the process of moving before the shouting had began.

Kumiko was unsettled by the screaming and harsh words being thrown about, but she was also fairly infuriated as well.

Yuko was attacking Reina, implying that she hadn't earned her solos through her own hard work and talent, but simply because she was acquainted with Taki-sensei. Kumiko wanted to shout at them all to be quiet, her eyes flicking nervously to her girlfriend, praying she was alright.

But Reina was more than capable of handling herself. Her declaration of being better than Kaori wasn't met with a favorable reaction, but it was the truth.

Kumiko was forced to watch as Yuko stomped up to her girlfriend, shouting more venom at Reina. Kumiko was too baffled to move, but luckily Natsuki and even Kaori interjected.

Reina herself put an end to the argument and brushed stiffly past her attacker, then disappeared out into the hallway.

Kumiko didn't waste a second in following after her.

"Reina... Reina!" She fumbled with her shoe for a second before hurrying out after her.

It wasn't much longer before her girlfriend stopped, muttering under her breath.

"I can't stand her..."

Kumiko paused just a few feet behind her, tilting her head slightly.

"Huh?"

The next thing that happened certainly caught her off guard.

Reina let out an exasperated scream, like a frustrated tigress, stomping her foot and then proceeding to smack her own knees.

"I can't stand her! I can't stand her! Geez, what is _wrong_ with her?! She can hardly even play! What's her problem?"

Kumiko was dazed as she bore witness to her girlfriend's miniature temper tantrum.

 _But I guess this is the best way for her to channel her frustration..._

Even so, Reina's little hissy fit was nothing short of adorable, especially for someone who always wore such a calm and collected demeanor in front of others.

Kumiko felt a little special considering that _she_ was the only one allowed to see this side of Reina.

But even so, she failed to suppress a small chuckle.

"Reina..."

"Don't you think so?" Reina cried.

Kumiko only laughed again.

Reina straightened up and addressed her in a more controlled tone of voice.

"Why are you laughing?"

"Sorry. I totally thought you were depressed-"

At least Reina wasn't about to cry over all of this.

But then, a sudden motion suggested otherwise.

Reina moved forward, throwing her arms around Kumiko's shoulders, a trembling sigh slipping from between her lips as she hid her face over her girlfriend's shoulder.

Kumiko was left baffled; aside from the kiss Reina had given her the night she'd hurt her ankle, this was the first time Reina had shown such unbridled affection to her.

She could feel her girlfriend shaking slightly, Reina's weight leaning mainly onto Kumiko for support.

"Kumiko..." Her voice wavered, as though she truly might've been about to cry.

"Huh? What is it?"

Kumiko's hands were still up in the air, still shocked at the sudden embrace; she wasn't thinking to return it, only to hear what Reina had to say.

Her girlfriend sighed again and tightened her grip, pulling Kumiko a little closer.

"Do you think I'm wrong?" she whispered.

Kumiko could hear the uncertainty in her voice, the fear that Reina thought she was overreacting and doing something she shouldn't have been. And she could feel Reina's heartbeat again, thumping thickly against her chest, scared that she was in the wrong in all of this.

Which was why Kumiko replied calmly and honestly.

"No. I don't."

She let her arms find their way around her girlfriend's back and helped Reina stay on her feet. Reina exhaled, and Kumiko could hear the insecurity in it.

"Really...?" Her voice was barely audible now, and truly about to crack.

Kumiko squeezed her tighter.

"Yeah."

She held her girlfriend for a moment longer, until Reina's heartbeat started to slow down. Kumiko supported her unsteady weight, pressing her palms to the other girl's back to let Reina know she was there for her.

Kumiko sighed, turning her face to the side as she pressed a small kiss to Reina's ear.

"You're not wrong, Reina. _You_ won the audition. Not Kaori-senpai. _You_ deserve the solos. It doesn't matter if she's older; _you_ were better. You trained harder. Your hard work is getting rewarded. That's only fair. You _earned_ it, Reina."

There was another sigh, and Reina swayed slightly. Kumiko stood her ground and supported her girlfriend.

" _Really_...?" Reina whispered again.

She truly didn't believe she deserved this...

"Really," Kumiko murmured firmly. "Really, Reina."

Gently, she pushed her girlfriend's shoulders and had her take a pace back. Reina tried to hide her expression, but Kumiko saw the water in her eyes that threatened to fall. Without a word, she leaned in to kiss her lips sweetly, sincerely.

"I mean it, Reina."

The dark-haired girl blinked, and one tear slipped down from each eye, tracing the apples of her cheeks. Kumiko reached out to brush them away, then pulled the girl back into another embrace.

Reina whimpered into her hair and sighed again.

"Sorry. Thank you, Kumiko."

The brunette only nodded and patted her back.

"It's okay."

She waited a moment longer, until Reina had calmed down a bit more. Then, Kumiko stepped away again.

"Let's take a break."

Her hand slipped down her girlfriend's arm to find her hand, threading their fingers together. Reina merely nodded her agreement.

Kumiko led her down the hallway, then to the staircase, keeping close to Reina's side as they descended.

She took her outside, wanting her to be able to breathe some fresh air to help her feel better.

The afternoon was warm and colorful beneath the setting sun, the greens of the grasses and leaves turning even more vibrant with the golden light shining down upon them.

They walked together a little ways, past the track until they were at the edge of campus.

Normally, neither girl would cut practice, especially not so close to the competition.

But today was different. They needed this.

They paused at two vacant benches near the fence, bordered by welcoming green bushes. It was peaceful here, the air filled with birdsong and the chirps of the first crickets of the evening.

Kumiko sat down, but she didn't protest when Reina let go of her hand and chose to sit on the opposite bench. She knew Reina needed a bit of space to collect herself right now.

Without really thinking about it, her girlfriend started to speak - about her father's profession and how she'd come to know Taki-sensei due to his affiliation with her family.

Kumiko listened attentively to everything her girlfriend had to say.

The thing that surprised her most was when Reina confessed she'd rejected another, arguably better school's invitation, simply so she may attend the same school where Taki-sensei was teaching.

"Seriously? Scary," she said.

Reina shrugged.

"What could I do?" She looked forward, her eyes glazing over slightly before she continued. "I like Taki-sensei..."

Kumiko couldn't help but gasp softly at the confession. She tangled her ankles together, feeling her fingers ball into fists at her knees.

"Wh-What?" she stammered.

"Not just in a 'like' kind of way. I mean in a 'love' kind of way."

Reina met her gaze sternly, honestly.

Kumiko didn't know what to make of the confession. She was confused and definitely hurt.

 _If... If Reina loves Taki-sensei, than what are we-?_

"Anyway-" Reina went on, cutting off the brunette's frantic thoughts. "That's how it used to be, at least."

"...Huh?"

"How it used to be," she repeated. "I liked Taki-sensei a lot. I had a huge crush on him. I really thought I loved him... But not anymore." She looked directly into Kumiko's eyes and offered a small smile. "Don't worry."

"Eh?" Kumiko blushed. "W-Worry? I'm not-"

"You were about to cry."

"Wh-Wha-?!" Kumiko quickly lifted her arms, rubbing them across her face and was appalled to feel warm wetness leaking down to her elbows.

Reina watched her, feeling bad now that she'd put her girlfriend through such grief. She stood, then switched benches, instead sitting down right next to Kumiko. Her hand found Kumiko's, and it was Reina's turn to lace their fingers together. She gave a squeeze to gain her girlfriend's attention.

"I don't like him anymore. Not like that," she said firmly. "I have you, Kumiko."

But despite the healing affect Kumiko knew those words were supposed to have on her, she didn't feel she could react accordingly. Her free hand went to her face to wipe her eyes again.

"So... I'm just a replacement?" she whispered. "You couldn't have Taki-sensei... so you just settled for me...?"

Reina's eyes went wide, her heart seizing as she realized what she'd done. She'd certainly worded that poorly, and had hurt Kumiko badly as a result of her own carelessness.

"Kumiko!" Her voice rose in earnest, her grip tightening. "That's not it! That's not what I meant at all!" Reina moved closer, using her free hand to grasp Kumiko's and gently pull it away from her face. "Kumiko. Look at me."

She waited for her girlfriend to stop hiccuping, waited for the tears to pause. Kumiko's hazel eyes met amethyst.

Reina laid her soul bare for her, letting her in. She spoke firmly, both of her hands holding tightly to her girlfriend's.

"I _used_ to like him. But those feelings ended over a year ago. When you came into my life like you did... I'd always wanted to be like this with you. To be your girlfriend. When it finally happened that night after you carried me home... I didn't believe it for a while."

Kumiko sniffled, but kept her gaze locked on Reina's.

"Me... Me, too..." she mumbled. "I didn't... believe it, either. I'd always... liked you."

Reina nodded and went on.

"That crush I had on Taki-sensei... it was just a child's crush. I've known him since middle school. He was so cool, and a professional with the music I loved so much. It was just admiration. It was never anything more, even if I told myself it was. But I don't want that anymore. I don't want any of it, Kumiko. I want _you_."

Without wasting another second, she pulled Kumiko in, taking her turn to wrap the girl in her arms by means of comfort. Reina ran her hands over her girlfriend's back in small, slow circles.

It was a long moment as she waited for some kind of response, be it acceptance or rejection from Kumiko.

Luckily, it was the former.

Reina felt the embrace returned, small hands making their way over her shoulder blades. She released a sigh of the utmost relief and murmured an apology into those chestnut curls.

"I'm sorry I said it so poorly. I didn't meant to hurt you."

Kumiko sniffled again, inhaling a big breath to put and end to the tears once and for all. She cracked a smile, also relieved to hear Reina's honest feelings.

"It's okay. Sorry I'm so sensitive. I just... really like you, Reina. A lot."

The dark-haired girl pulled her closer still, nuzzling slightly into the side of her neck.

"I like you too, Kumiko. A lot."

It was certainly nice to hear.

A few minutes passed them by, measured in heartbeats and the songs of the mourning doves. It was Reina's turn to wipe her girlfriend's tears, brushing them away with her thumbs.

"Your cheeks are puffy."

"That's your fault."

"I guess it is," Reina agreed. "Let me make it up to you."

She cupped Kumiko's cheeks, squishing just a tiny bit before pulling her in for a tender kiss. Kumiko's hands found their way to either side of Reina's waist, bringing her forward a few more inches.

They held the kiss for as long as they could manage, until their lungs demanded oxygen.

They soon parted, resting their foreheads together as they caught their breath.

"So..." Reina gasped softly. "Do you understand yet? That I really don't have feelings for Taki-sensei anymore? Or do I need to prove it again?"

Kumiko only smiled, her thumbs rubbing little circles over Reina's sides.

"As much as I'd enjoy some more 'proof'... I believe you, Reina. Sorry for doubting your feelings."

Knowing Kumiko understood her heartfelt emotions now, Reina let out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding.

They moved their foreheads apart again, though their hands remained entwined, their thighs brushing above the wood of the bench.

Reina leaned herself sideways, resting her head on Kumiko's shoulder. The brunette moved one of her hands to Reina's back to keep her from slipping, though her other hand remained in her lap, clamped softly in between both of her girlfriend's palms.

"So..." she murmured. "You... loved Taki-sensei, huh?"

Reina huffed.

"Don't repeat it. It's embarrassing..." she muttered. "But Taki-sensei never knew how I felt. I knew all along it could never work anyway. He'd come to my house to have dinner with my father and discuss music from time to time. More often than not, he'd have a woman on his arm."

Kumiko heard her give a small, triumphant "hmph". She could almost hear the smirk in Reina's voice now:

"Looks like we've both got girlfriends now. Both Taki-sensei and I."

Kumiko blushed instantly, heat rushing to tickle her cheeks.

"R-Reina..."

"What? Its' true, isn't it?" She traced the pads of her fingertips over Kumiko's knuckles. When Kumiko focused on the strokes of her fingers, she realized Reina was spelling out a word on the back of her hand:

K-U-M-I-K-O

The brunette smiled again, her feet kicking lightly into the dirt underfoot, channeling her giddy energy.

Reina continued speaking a moment later, voice reminiscent and slightly distant.

"Taki-sensei has a girlfriend. He'd never favor me for the audition."

She moved away a minute later, thoughts of the stressful afternoon making her stomach twist unpleasantly. It was a feeling she didn't want associated with Kumiko's soft comfort.

She sat up, her glare trained on the grass.

"That Yuko... I can't believe she'd start complaining about our adviser at a time like this."

Kumiko gazed at her profile, watching the way her girlfriend's dark hair was tugged by the breeze.

"I agree," she said.

Reina flashed her another glance.

"What's with that face?"

Kumiko realized she'd been smiling again.

"Oh, nothing. I was just thinking you're cute."

Reina definitely blushed that time.

"You're terrible..."

With a pout, she turned her back and flopped down onto her side on the bench. Kumiko giggled and reached out to lay a hand on her girlfriend's side.

 _You're not helping yourself with this. You're only being cuter, Reina_.

But she avoided saying as much, instead carefully directing the conversation back to the events of that afternoon.

"Would you ever give up your solo?"

The response was immediate and steadfast.

"Never. I'd double-down. That's what it takes to become special."

Kumiko nodded – she'd been expecting such a response.

Even if their upperclassmen ridiculed Reina, even if they continued to spread those awful rumors behind her back in an effort to hurt and embarrass her, Reina wouldn't give up her passion.

Even so, Kumiko wasn't going to let her get hurt anymore. She'd support Reina through all of this.

But there _was_ something her girlfriend had just said that she wanted to address.

"Reina~" Kumiko whined. She grabbed both of the girl's hands and pulled her up again, until they were eye-level. "I already told you, remember? You _are_ special. To me."

Reina blinked, her expression considerate as she rewound her thoughts to that night about a week ago, to their moments alone outside her house, Kumiko's confessions...

"Right," she said. "That's right. I'd used to want to be special for Taki-sensei. Before I knew any better... But now I want to be special for you, Kumiko."

"I just told you. You already are."

"Then I want to become even more special."

Her eyes were sparkling with anticipation, eager to prove herself.

Kumiko wasn't about to douse that spark.

"Okay," she said.

If this would be Reina's motivation to keep going, Kumiko would gladly accept it. Plus, it made her joyful to know Reina wanted to do this mainly for _her_ sake.

Kumiko pulled her into another hug, a bit of a more zealous one this time.

"Thank you, Reina. I'll work hard to be special to you, too!"

Reina smirked.

"Idiot. You already are."

They shared another kiss, the golden light of the setting sun outlining their silhouettes, carving the shape and shadow of their secret relationship into the ground below, with the grass and birds and sky above as their only witnesses.

Once they parted, Kumiko looked up at her girlfriend a little sheepishly.

"So... should we go back to practice?"

It was an offer she herself didn't really feel like taking up, but she knew Reina was a hardworking student who wouldn't skip a class or music practice if she could help it.

But her girlfriend surprised her when she merely shrugged her shoulders.

"Maybe it'd be okay to skip," she mumbled. "Just for today."

Kumiko tried not to clap her hands together excitedly. If Reina was rejecting the idea of going back inside, it meant she wanted to spend some time alone with Kumiko, just as Kumiko wanted to be alone with her.

"Yeah," the brunette nodded. "That might be for the best. Just for today. It's kind of a strained atmosphere back there."

She knew that if they were to return to the music room that afternoon that all heads would immediately turn to glare at Reina, and the whispers and rumors would start all over again. That might've been inevitable, but Kumiko didn't want it to happen anymore today – at least, not so Reina could hear it.

Kumiko traveled her gaze over Reina's person, using her eyes to outline the curves of her brow, nose, and lips.

"Do you want to go home?"

Reina pondered the thought, but ultimately shook her head.

"No. Let's go somewhere."

"Somewhere?" Kumiko parroted. "Like where?"

"Nowhere too far. Just come with me."

Reina stood, dusted off her skirt a bit, and then offered her empty palm to the other girl. Kumiko accepted her hand with a small smile, then followed behind her girlfriend.

As she let Reina lead, Kumiko ended up a pace behind her, their hands still connected. The warm evening breeze made her own shorter hair bounce a bit, but Reina's longer locks flowed out behind her like a midnight river.

When there was no one else around and no necessity to speak, Kumiko liked to simply admire her girlfriend's sheer beauty, her mystery.

She'd once thought of Reina like a Snow Spirit, merely because Kumiko knew that if such a gorgeous creature were ever to appear to her – even if her purpose was to lead her to her death – Kumiko knew she'd willingly follow.

But now that she knew Reina like she did, she had to remind herself that the dark-haired beauty wasn't anything like a Snow Spirit. She wasn't frightening, cold, or connected to anything dangerous or unfavorable.

In reality, Reina was much more insecure than she let on, a side of herself Kumiko knew she'd never shown to anyone else. Except her.

She could still feel their embrace in the hallway from earlier, how Reina's arms had been trembling as they clung to her shoulders, her voice wobbling as she begged Kumiko to validate her fears.

Reina wasn't cold, either – too many embraces and kisses they'd shared over the past several days proved otherwise. Her warmth wasn't overbearing or even as prominent as some other peoples' might have been. But it was subtle, pleasant, and something that was unique only to Reina.

And despite the rumors that existed about her now, Kumiko knew there was truthfully nothing bad to be associated with her girlfriend that wasn't imposed upon her by other people.

Reina tended to mind her own business, unless there was something she could interject about involving people she cared about. She was righteous and defensive of only a select few, and Kumiko felt special to think she might be one of them.

She'd gotten a little lost in her own thoughts as they walked, her feet guided only by the slight tug of Reina's hand on her wrist.

She spaced out a bit until her girlfriend finally came to a stop. Kumiko bumped into her back and squeaked an apology.

"S-Sorry."

"It's fine. We're here."

Kumiko peered over her girlfriend's shoulder.

They were atop a small, grassy hill located off to one side of the campus. It gave an extraordinary view of the sunset from this vantage point. The orange sky bled into gold, and then melted to softer pinks and purples like a watercolor painting.

Kumiko marveled at the sight, feeling almost a sense of deja vu from when Reina had led her to look at the city at night from the mountain top.

The scene she'd borne witness to the night of the festival had been composed of cooler colors, whites and greens and blues. But what was before her now was much warmer, reds and golds and oranges. It relaxed her significantly after looking for just a few seconds.

Kumiko was pulled back out of her trance again as she felt a familiar tug on her wrist. She met Reina's eyes.

"Let's sit down."

Kumiko happily obliged, bending her knees and pulling her legs up to her chest. Reina sat beside her in a similar fashion, gazing out into the sunset.

The brunette couldn't help but chuckle as a certain thought made its way from her mind to her lips.

"So you really do like this kind of thing, huh?"

Reina cast her a sidelong glance.

"What do you mean?"

Kumiko elaborated.

"Like climbing a mountain at night to play your trumpet at the top. You also like to skip practice and sit on a hillside to watch the sunset. Those kind of things."

Reina huffed a small breath.

"As I said, it's not like I do this kind of thing every day. But it's easy to think about. There's a desire to do something out of the ordinary every now and again, right?"

Kumiko leaned back on her palms and nodded.

"Yeah. I understand. I think it's necessary to get away from it all sometimes, whether you're going out at night for a walk on a mountain or missing practice to watch the sunset."

"Still... I don't like missing practice."

"You practice plenty!" Kumiko reminded her. "You can make up for it in no time. It's better not to go today when everyone is on-edge." She lowered her voice a bit then. "Besides, I don't want them to say horrible things to you anymore..." She trailed off, her fingers clutching at the blades of grass and tearing a few.

Reina watched her, surprised and slightly flattered.

"You don't have to get upset about it," she said. "I don't mind the rumors about me. I just don't want them to say false things about Taki-sensei. He did nothing wrong. He has no reason to favor me... And besides..."

It was her turn to taper off and look up at the sky. Kumiko flashed her a glance as she continued.

"I want to believe what you said, Kumiko. That I _earned_ the solo myself."

The brunette released her fists from the grass in order to move closer to her girlfriend, bumping their shoulders together lightly.

"You _did_ earn it, Reina. There's no questioning that. You won the part fair and square." She was being earnest with her words, but she both felt and heard Reina sigh.

"It's nice to know at least you think that way."

Kumiko frowned.

"I know not everyone does. But it's really the truth. Nothing was rigged about this, Reina. You worked hard and got rewarded for it. And I know you'll take us to gold in the competition."

A moment of silence followed her words as Reina seemed to absorb them.

Kumiko was right; the execution of her solo parts may very well be what decided their fate in the competition. She was going to work even harder from now on.

Starting tomorrow.

For now, she merely laid back in the grass, stretching her arms up above her head as the world shifted. Now the only thing in her line of sight was the colorful sky, serene clouds floating slowly across the painted canvas.

It was a welcome contrast to the yelling and stress they'd left behind in the school building, that was for sure.

Kumiko remained sitting up for a moment longer, her eyes only straying to Reina where she lie beside her. The wind ruffled her girlfriend's uniform a little, stirring her hair and the grass surrounding it.

She let the silence linger for as long as she could manage, until she couldn't stay still any longer.

It had only been a few minutes since Reina had laid down, but Kumiko already missed her touch. She mimicked her girlfriend's pose and rested herself on her side, cushioned by the soft grass.

Reina was still staring up at the sky, but Kumiko could only turn to look at her.

Despite the variation of colors above them, Reina was _much_ more beautiful.

Kumiko watched as those long eyelashes kissed the apples of her cheeks when she blinked, watched the way her lips parted slightly when she sighed, watched the way her chest rose and fell softly when she breathed...

Kumiko pushed herself up briefly, bracing her weight on one elbow. Slowly, she moved her other arm across Reina's body to rest on the girl's other side, gently trapping her.

Not that Reina minded.

Their eyes locked – hazel boring down into amethyst – and just their gazes alone were more vibrant than the sunset.

Kumiko leaned a bit of her weight over Reina, closing her eyes and kissing her without a word.

Reina lifted her arms, interlocking her fingers at the nape of her girlfriend's neck to keep her close, feeling the soft curls of her hair.

When they drew apart again, it was hard for Kumiko not to dive in for more.

But Reina was slightly flushed, breathing a little heavily, so she relented for now.

There'd be plenty of time for more later.

Kumiko settled for brushing her nose against her girlfriend's, then curling up at her side once more.

Reina kept her arms around the brunette's shoulders, urging her closer. Rather than resting her head on the grass, she coaxed Kumiko to use her shoulder instead.

Kumiko happily obliged to the silent request. She laid her head sideways over Reina's collar, pressing an ear to her chest.

Instantly, her head was filled with Reina's heartbeat.

It was the first time she'd ever listened so directly. Both the night on the mountain and when Reina had been sick, Kumiko had only felt it softly with Reina pressed to her back, or sleeping soundly in her lap.

But this was different.

It was a little embarrassing for Reina, but she was just grateful Kumiko couldn't see her blush. She stared up at the sky for a long while, breathing in the fresh air as she kept her arm around her girlfriend's back.

Kumiko didn't even pay attention to the rest of the world anymore. She simply lost herself in the rhythm of Reina's heart.

 _It's a really lovely song..._

And it was a song only Kumiko got the privilege of listening to.

So she enjoyed it as much as possible, closing her eyes to commit it to memory.

Reina's pulse slowed as the minutes went on, her breathing deepening into something more relaxed.

Both girls dozed for a while, relishing the ginger breeze weaving through their hair and the subtle, mutual warmth spreading throughout their bodies.

They only moved when their bodies started to get numb, and Kumiko regrettably pulled away, instantly missing Reina's heartbeat.

She helped her girlfriend sit up, and for a moment they both plucked blades of grass off one another's uniforms.

They didn't need to ask or speak in order to share another kiss.

At last, they stood together, shaking themselves off beneath the fading sunlight.

They came to a silent, unanimous decision that they didn't need to go back to the school today.

They could worry about practice and their instruments tomorrow.

For now, they merely headed for home, hand in hand.

* * *

 **A/N: Ahhh if only something like this could have been canon... darn those novels.**

 **I might write more chapters! I sort of have another idea, but we'll see if I can sort it out properly and get it into writing! Keep your eyes open for more, just in case I get it together!**

 **Please review!**


	5. Defending Her

**Again, this chapter sort of ties into episode 11, but there are obvious twists I took on it.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Hibike Euphonium.**

* * *

Chapter 5. Defending Her

The following days were hell for Kumiko – at least in terms of the weather.

Every morning was muggy and clogged with damp, heavy air, every afternoon blazing with scorching heat pounding down, every evening buzzing with insects.

It would have been torment if not for the fact that she had her own little slice of heaven.

After all, she had a Snow Spirit to kiss in secrecy.

In between classes, on a "bathroom break" during lunchtime, and even after band practice, she was grasping Reina's wrist and leading her around the nearest corner to steal covert kisses.

It had been over a week now, but still they hadn't revealed their relationship.

During one of those kisses pressed against the lockers, Reina had suggested they wait until after the competition to tell the others.

"That way," she'd said. "No matter if we win or lose, we'll have something to look forward to."

Kumiko had brushed her nose against her girlfriend's and chuckled softly.

"But we're going to win, aren't we?"

Reina had smirked and kissed her again.

"Of course."

At the time, there had only been a few days left until the re-dos of the trumpets' auditions. Kumiko knew Reina was nervous, despite the fact that she rarely ever showed it. Not in front of others, anyway.

Kumiko had been the only one present at the times to feel her girlfriend's desperate embraces, silent prayers that she'd be able to earn these solos all over again.

It was always Kumiko's job to whisper reassurances into her ear and smooth out her hair for her.

"You'll do great, Reina," she said. "I know you will."

And it was all Reina could do to just keep practicing and try to have faith in those words.

* * *

Kumiko was shocked to say the very least when she discovered Yuuko having a private conversation with Reina a few days later.

The fact that she was begging Reina to throw the audition purposefully, and then to place the blame on Yuuko herself if it was made public demonstrated just how deeply she cared for Kaori.

 _Even so,_ Kumiko thought from her hiding spot behind the door. _I care about Reina. And I won't let her throw this away._

She had to admit that Yuuko's affections for Kaori were very touching, but Kumiko wouldn't let that stop Reina from getting what she truly deserved...

Which was why she ran to Reina the day of the auditions re-dos.

After Taki-sensei had told the ensemble to start setting up, he'd dismissed Reina and Kaori to prepare for their auditions. Kumiko promptly caught Hazuki's eye, and without a word, she knew things would be taken care of here without her.

So Kumiko rushed after her girlfriend, finding her in the vacant lobby area of the building, sitting in shadows against the windows. Kumiko hurried over to her with a cheerful announcement.

"We're almost done setting up."

Reina didn't even look up at her.

"Is that so?"

Kumiko could sense her unease as though it were tangible.

"Are you okay?" she wondered. She sat down beside her girlfriend, hoping to provide some shred of comfort for her.

Reina's response was detached, her eyes trained on the instrument in her lap.

"Yeah..."

Kumiko frowned, knowing that wasn't entirely true.

Not a moment after Kumiko had sat down, Reina blinked and seemed to resolve herself, then stood, trumpet in-hand.

"Kumiko..."

The brunette titled her head to one side.

"Yes?"

Reina turned to look back over her shoulder, her eyes narrowing slightly.

"Would you... be upset if I lost?"

Kumiko couldn't believe her ears for a few seconds, and her voice came out softly.

"Reina..."

The black-haired girl turned to look back at her, her expression contemplative but otherwise unreadable. Kumiko could tell she was seriously considering throwing the audition, and she was appalled by the implications here. Her jaw hung open a bit as she mumbled out the words, "I would."

Immediately afterward, she stood, fists clenched at her sides as she raised her voice defiantly.

"I would!" she cried.

Her eyes locked with Reina's, which were a bit darkened in the shadow she presently stood in.

"Why?"

Kumiko didn't miss a beat as she replied firmly.

"You're going to become special, aren't you? Not just to me this time."

The response was still thin, weak.

"You're right..."

Kumiko persisted, passion leaking into her tone as she proclaimed her trust in her girlfriend's abilities.

"You're different from the others. You're different from _everyone_ else. You can't let yourself be influenced by others! That's just stupid!"

Despite Kumiko's efforts, Reina was still looking downward.

"But if I win... I'll be the villain here."

"That's fine!" Kumiko insisted. "When that happens, I'll be a villain _with_ you. You're better than Kaori-senpai. You've proven yourself and earned this time and again. You can't throw it away now. I'll tell them all it ought to be _you_ who plays the solo! I'll tell them."

Reina finally met her eyes again.

"Really?"

Kumiko gulped, knowing those words were what Reina had been after; Kumiko's unflagging faith in her.

The brunette held her gaze.

"Probably."

Reina's eyes widened, but then that angelic smile formed on her lips.

"You really are an awful person."

When she saw that smile and the way Reina closed her eyes so sweetly like that, Kumiko could only harbor thoughts of kissing her.

Reina stepped forward, and when she reached one hand up to cup Kumiko's cheek, the brunette was certain she'd soon get what she wanted.

She leaned her face slightly into that cool palm, her eyes finding Reina's. Her girlfriend moved closer, until Kumiko could feel her breath on her lips. The way the sunlight was streaming in through the windows made those amethyst pools sparkle, and she even saw a bit of her own hazel gaze reflected in Reina's.

Their foreheads brushed lightly, and Kumiko felt Reina's bangs tickling her skin. Her girlfriend held her gaze as she spoke again.

"Will you stay by my side?"

Kumiko didn't need longer than a second to respond.

"Yes."

Reina tilted her face a bit more, seeking the honest truth from Kumiko.

"You won't betray me?"

Kumiko held her gaze without blinking.

"If I do, you can kill me."

"I'll actually kill you," Reina vowed.

Kumiko reached her hand up to cover Reina's, pressing it closer to her cheek.

"You probably would, Reina. I'm prepared for that." She closed her eyes, breathing in her girlfriend's scent.

But with her next declaration, she made sure to open them again, finding dazzling purple.

"This is a confession of love, after all."

She'd used Reina's own words on her, and the black-haired girl was visibly surprised.

But only a second later, that smile returned.

Kumiko moved her hands, holding onto either of Reina's sides to keep her close as she kissed her. For luck, for support, for love. She kissed her for a long moment, and Reina pressed back deeply, taking all she needed and giving all she could.

When they parted, Reina stepped away, then turned on her heel with a rekindled determination. Her luscious, flowing hair lingered in the air before Kumiko's eyes for a moment, the onyx strands catching in the sunlight, outlined with silver.

Mesmerized, Kumiko watched her go.

"Reina..."

Her girlfriend turned back once more, and the smile remained.

"It's alright. I never had any intention of losing in the first place."

Which meant she'd only asked Kumiko all of those questions because she'd wanted to hear Kumiko's answers, not because those answers would have influenced her in anyway.

It had almost been a test of sorts and Kumiko knew she'd passed with flying colors.

With a prideful smile, she watched Reina head out of the lobby and back to the main concert hall.

Kumiko admired her back for a moment before quickly following after her.

* * *

To say that Reina dominated the auditions in front of the entire school ensemble would have been a sore understatement.

Even though the entire ensemble didn't burst into applause, their amazed expressions and impressed murmurs were more than enough to convince Taki-sensei and even Kaori to give Reina the solo.

Kumiko was wrought with emotions after hearing the verdict, seeing her girlfriend standing on-stage like that, looking so lovely, so determined, but not conceited. She needed to wipe away tears and stop herself from jumping over the rows of chairs and climbing onto the stage to kiss her girlfriend.

Though after Taki-sensei announced the results and dismissed them all, Kumiko managed to get Reina alone behind stage to hug and congratulate her with many kisses.

"You did it!" she cried softly into Reina's hair. "I knew you would."

The black-haired girl wrapped her arms around the other girl's back, kissing her temple.

"Thank you for putting your faith in me, Kumiko."

"Even without it, you would've won."

"I'm not so sure."

Their lips came together in another kiss before some other girls started calling for them. The couple parted, Kumiko chuckling a bit sheepishly as Reina released her.

Together, they headed out of the auditorium to start preparing their instruments for practice.

* * *

The news of Reina's success in besting her upperclassman of two years in the solo try-outs spread around the entire school like wildfire.

By the next day, it was on every student's lips, even the ones not involved with music or band in any way.

As Kumiko sat in her homeroom class waiting for her teacher to show up, she did her best to ignore Hazuki's excited babble from behind her. Instead, Kumiko closed her eyes and tried to focus on the gossip of the rest of the class.

"Did you hear about that Kousaka girl?"

"She beat Kaori Nakaseko in the music solo auditions _twice!_ "

"What the heck? She's only a first-year! She must be super good."

Kumiko couldn't help but smile to herself as she listened to them praising her girlfriend.

For a minute, she simply listened to them chattering about Reina, wearing the tiniest of smirks on her face.

But eventually, the conversations took a turn that made her smile fade.

"But I heard a lot of the upperclassmen aren't too happy about it."

"Why not?"

"Because she's only a first-year. There are rumors that she cheated somehow, or won by default because of favoritism."

Kumiko opened her eyes and directed her gaze toward the chatting students. She longed to push away from her desk and stomp over to them so she could tell them all they were mistaken, how the rumors had merely been forged in order to make Reina look bad.

She wanted to set things straight and clear her girlfriend's name.

But before she could move, the teacher entered the room and called for order. Kumiko could only face forward as the class commenced, but she couldn't shake the twisting feeling in her stomach for the rest of the morning.

* * *

When lunchtime finally came, rather than pushing her desk together with those of her friends', Kumiko sheepishly took her leave.

"I'd like to go find Reina," she told them.

Hazuki and Sapphire shared a knowing glance and a smile.

"Yeah, yeah," Hazuki said, waving her hand. "We get it. Go ahead, Kumiko-chan! If you find her, bring her back here. Unless you'd rather have lunch alone with her~"

Kumiko made a face somewhere between a grimace and a pout.

"Maybe..." she muttered.

And with that, she was off.

She stood and weaved her way through the desks and chairs of the classroom, then hurried out the door.

She didn't need to debate which direction to go in. She knew where Reina would be even during lunchtime.

Kumiko set her course for the doors, knowing Reina would be practicing her solo parts outside. As she scurried down the hallway, she started to hear the faint sounds of that familiar trumpet.

Quickening her pace, Kumiko was about to reach for the doors when she froze in her tracks.

The otherwise-empty hallway was suddenly occupied by several other people. When she looked their way, Kumiko saw that the trio of girls were third-year students, not in the concert band or ensemble, so she wasn't familiar with their names.

They were standing by some of the lockers, muttering to themselves loudly enough for the brunette to overhear.

"Did you hear? That first-year girl won the auditions."

"What a cheater. Even if she was better, she should've let Kaori win. It's only fair that she lets her senpai look good for her final year playing here."

"I swear! That Kousaka girl is such a self-centered little bitch."

Instantly, Kumiko's good mood was swept away like a blossom in a tsunami. She could let the harmless rumors slide, but when there were people purposefully seeking to tarnish Reina's reputation and call her names, Kumiko wouldn't allow it.

She didn't care that they were upperclassmen – _no one_ was going to speak about _her_ girlfriend that way.

Her fingers fell away from the door handle, and she squared her shoulders, her gaze turning to the three older girls. Kumiko marched over to them, her fingers balled into fists at her sides, her lips set in a firm line.

She paused a few feet away from the three girls and cleared her throat.

"Excuse me."

Her voice got the attention of the snickering trio, and they all turned to look at her with unamused eyes.

"What's your problem, first-year? Did you get lost on your way to the bathroom?"

They all laughed harshly, but Kumiko didn't budge. She kept her gaze hard and trained on them.

"Could you please refrain from spreading lies about her?"

When the older girls realized what she was talking about, the laughing stopped only briefly.

"What? That Kousaka girl? What do you care? You friends with her?"

"She's a conniving little bitch. Doesn't she know that messing up on purpose would have been better? Now Kaori looks bad."

"Yeah, poor Kaori..."

Kumiko snorted.

"Kaori-senpai lost because Reina is better than her!" she acclaimed. "Reina won that audition twice, and it was in front of the entire band. There's no mistake that she's just better."

"Hey!" one of the girls barked. "You better watch yourself, girly. Maybe things weren't like this in your old school, but here things are different! Seniority matters. Every third-year student thinks Kousaka should've thrown the audition."

"Really?" Kumiko snapped, a challenge in her eyes. " _Every_ third-year student thinks that? Did you hear that from every single one of them? I doubt it. Even Yuuko-senpai and Kaori-senpai are fine with it. They know Reina won because she's better and she worked harder than anyone for it."

"Shut it!" One of the girls grabbed Kumiko's collar and pushed her back against the lockers, leaning down to get into her face. "I'm so sick of little brats like you trying to mess with your seniors! We know that Kousaka girl cheated because the instructor favored her."

"Yeah!" another growled. "The third-years in the ensemble said there was a big argument about how Kousaka knew the advisor."

"He probably influenced the voters," the last one added.

Kumiko snorted again, her eyes narrowed in aggravation. There was a slight pain in her back from where she'd hit the metal lockers, but she used that pain to fuel her words.

"The entire band heard them both!" she shouted. "You can ask any person there! They'll tell you Reina won fair and square!"

"Didn't I tell you to shut your mouth, brat?"

Kumiko felt another shove, and this time the back of her head hit the lockers. She sucked in a sharp breath, but wasn't about to run away from this.

"You just can't accept the fact that Reina is better. She's amazing and you're jealous of her skills. You can bully me all you want, but that won't change how talented Reina is. You can spread all the rumors you want, but that won't stop her from playing the solos in the competition. Reina's going to become special!"

The three upperclassman were silent for a moment, stunned into a rather dumbfounded state. Kumiko thought she'd finally gotten through to them.

But then, the girl in the middle shrugged her shoulders uncaringly.

"You really _piss_ me off."

Her hand shot forward again, and Kumiko closed her eyes.

She didn't care if they hurt her. They could hurt her all they wanted.

So long as they left Reina alone.

* * *

Reina had gone through the solo enough times to be able to play during her sleep, but even so, that didn't seem like enough.

After all she'd been through to achieve this goal, she wasn't finished yet. She was only getting started.

All of this would mean next to nothing if her performance in the competition didn't bring them to victory.

However, she did recall something Kumiko had told her about a week ago, how it would be better to take a break and come back later at 100% rather than exhaust herself and be at only 50% now. If she didn't put her full effort into this, she was only wasting everyone's time.

Therefore, she knew a break was essential, so after spending ten minutes of her lunch period playing outside at her usual spot, she put her trumpet back into its case and folded her music sheets up.

In all honesty, she didn't really _need_ to look at the music anymore, but she kept it open as not to appear conceited.

Not many people passed by this way at this hour of the day, so she left her equipment behind, intending to seek out a certain someone to enjoy a bit of time with.

She headed for the building and reached for the door handle.

But she paused when her eyes caught motion from the other side, and she peered into the glass window portion of the door.

What she saw made her blood boil.

Three older girls had trapped an underclassman, and judging by the way they were swaying and lunging at her, it wasn't a good situation.

Reina was about to run off and find a teacher-

-until she noticed who the person being bullied was.

"Kumiko-"

With baited breath, she flung the door open, hard enough that it hit the wall behind it with a loud sound. The commotion got the girls' attention as Reina stomped inside like a deadly storm.

"Oh~" one of the upperclassman said tauntingly. "Well, what do you know? Speak of the devil and she shall appear. It's Kousaka-san herself!"

Reina halted just a foot away form them, her eyes burning.

"What's going on here?" she demanded.

Her gaze traveled first to all of the older girls, and then to the brunette behind them. Kumiko looked understandably flustered and clearly upset. But Reina's presence allowed relief to creep into her eyes.

"Reina..." she murmured. "Don't worry. You should-"

"So this is the kid who made Kaori look bad, huh?" the older girl snarled. Her eyes looked Reina up and down, as though sizing her up. "You're nothing special."

Reina flinched, but it wasn't as though she'd taken a blow – rather, she was empowered by those words.

"If you have a problem with me, you should tell it to my face," she said calmly. "Instead of harassing others and spreading lies."

"Nothing we're saying is a lie," the first girl shrugged.

"Yeah. You really are full of yourself."

"You should've let Kaori win."

"And what would that have accomplished?" Reina asked. "Showing people that they can have whatever they want by not putting in effort to obtain it?"

The three girls seemed to snap as more shouting erupted.

"You are _so_ full of yourself!"

"What a bitch!"

"You're outrageous!"

Reina merely shrugged her shoulders.

"Is that the best you've got? You could at least tell me something I haven't heard before."

"Why you-" The middle girl took a step forward and glared down at her. "Show a little respect, for god's sake."

"I would," Reina replied. "If any of you were _worthy_ of respect."

Her comment had the hallway filling with uneasy silence.

Baffled beyond words, the three older girls could only stare at her with their jaws hanging slack.

"W-Why you little-!"

"As I said," Reina cut her off. "If you've got issues with me, you can tell me to my face any time. But bullying other people about it is awfully cowardly, don't you think?"

She brushed past two of the girls, until at last she stood before Kumiko. The brunette was baffled as well, but her hazel eyes were sparkling with pride.

"Reina..."

At the sound of her name in Kumiko's thin rasp of a voice, Reina understood just how uncomfortable her girlfriend had been in this situation until now. She wanted to get Kumiko away from here as quickly as possible.

She flashed the girl a brief smile, then reached down to take her hand.

But when Reina next turned around to face the three girls, her soft demeanor had hardened once more.

"Do whatever makes you feel better. You can spread all the rumors you want about me. You can even try to sabotage me if you like. It won't ever change the fact that I beat Kaori-senpai twice, and the entire band heard it. And-"

Her eyes narrowed into slits like a hawk's, the shadows of her bangs covering her face as she glowered up at them. "As I said, if you have a problem with me, come find me. Don't harass others. I'll be ready to shut you down any time."

With that subtle, silencing threat, she whipped around again, her hair tossing out behind her.

"Come on, Kumiko."

Maintaining her grip on her girlfriend's wrist, Reina began leading her away, satisfied to discover that the pesky trio wasn't pursuing them.

Reina strode down the hallway, leading Kumiko down the staircase before pulling her outside. She didn't notice how quickly she must've been moving until she felt her girlfriend stumble behind her.

"R-Reina-"

The black-haired girl stopped immediately and turned around to face her.

Kumiko was still a bit shaken and slightly breathless from the ordeal.

And Reina hadn't realized how furious she herself was until now. Her grip on Kumiko's wrist was tight, and her free hand was curled so hard into a fist that her nails were digging painfully into her palm.

Reina bit her lip, feeling how her own breathing had become ragged.

"Sorry."

She loosened her grip on Kumiko's wrist, then took her over to a nearby bench to sit. All the while, she didn't let go of her girlfriend's hand.

Reina's eyes went to the ground. Her gaze was still shrouded slightly, as though a haze had surrounded her. She was still enraged at the scene she'd just borne witness to, Kumiko being harassed by those girls.

And Reina knew it had been because of her.

Her hand must've trembled, because Kumiko shifted closer to her, reaching out with her free hand to cup Reina's cheek.

"Reina..." she murmured. "Calm down. You're shaking."

Reina swallowed, but her breath hitched and it came out in a small cough.

"They were... so horrible..." she whispered.

"They really were."

Kumiko tugged at her wrist, and Reina turned her body slightly because of it. Kumiko only released her hand in order to wrap both arms around her back.

Reina was still for a moment, her hands clutching aimlessly at her girlfriend's shirt. She could feel soft hands running up and down her back, and Kumiko's voice sounded worriedly in her ear.

"Reina... your heart's pounding..."

Reina gasped softly, but her hands eventually moved up, finding their way to Kumiko's back to embrace her in return.

"I don't mind the confrontation..." she whispered. "I can handle the yelling. But... I was scared they'd hurt you, Kumiko. Or said awful things to you..." She turned her face to bury it in those soft brown curls, breathing in her familiar scent.

"Well..." Kumiko replied gently. "They _did_ say horrible things to me, but they weren't _about_ me. They were about _you_. And I couldn't let them do that. I couldn't let them say such awful things about you, Reina. You don't deserve that."

Reina felt the girl tighten her embrace as she went on. "That's why I had to say something to them. I told them how you earned your solo and everyone knew it. I had to defend you. Because I'll never betray you. I'm always on your side, Reina."

Reina felt her heart pound a little harder at the confession, the repetition of those words they'd shared together just before the audition re-dos. Reina sighed heavily, pressing closer.

"I know you never will..." she said. "That way, I won't have to kill you."

Kumiko chuckled into her ear and nuzzled her neck softly.

For a moment, they simply remained that way, until they'd both calmed down enough to part from each other's warmth.

Reina was about to smile until Kumiko winced suddenly, putting a hand to the back of her head.

"Ah- ow..."

"Kumiko?" Reina touched her cheek gingerly. "What's wrong? Did they hurt you?"

Kumiko gulped, knowing full-well that Reina might go hunt those girls down again and kill them.

"Uh, well it's nothing serious! They just pushed me a little-"

"Wait here. I'm going to-"

"R-Reina no!" Kumiko wailed. "Please don't kill them!"

"Try and stop me."

"Uwaaah, Reina, Reina! It's really fine! I think they've learned their lesson, and my head really doesn't hurt that badly! If you become a murderer now, you'll never be able to play in the competition!"

Reina heaved a long sigh.

"I guess you're right."

"Right? So please..." Kumiko covered her girlfriend's hands in her lap and rubbed gently over the nail marks Reina had made on herself earlier. "Just stay here with me for a bit, okay?"

Her request had Reina remembering that spending some alone time with her girlfriend had been her intention all along.

With a nod, Reina shifted closer to her, slipping an arm around Kumiko's shoulders.

"Lean on me," she offered. "Rest your head until the pain stops."

Reina drew her girlfriend closer and coaxed Kumiko to rest her head on her shoulder. Reina moved her hand up through the curls of her hair until her fingers could splay out over the sore spot Kumiko had been holding. With gentle fingers, Reina rubbed small circles there, easing the pain significantly.

Kumiko went limp at her side almost instantly, letting out a sigh as she closed her eyelids. Her arms looped loosely around Reina's back and stomach, locking together at her opposite hip. Like this, Kumiko could feel her breathing and hear her heartbeat, all things that served to chase away the unsavory memories of what had just happened in the hallway.

Kumiko dozed lightly for a few minutes, enjoying the slight breeze and her girlfriend's warmth.

Reina continued to rub the girl's head, leaning over on occasion to kiss her temple or her hair.

The tranquility was only interrupted by a small rumbling sound.

Kumiko instantly made an embarrassed sound.

"Ah..."

Reina chuckled.

"I forgot that we haven't eaten yet. We should do that. We can't play on empty stomachs."

"You're right."

Kumiko moved away a few inches, content to find that her head didn't hurt anymore. Even so, Reina had to make sure.

"Are you okay?"

Kumiko smiled.

"Yeah. Thank you, Reina." She leaned in to kiss her a few more times.

At first it was for reassurance, then it was for gratitude, and finally it was for love.

Reina closed her eyes and savored every kiss, reciprocating them all.

Only when Kumiko's stomach growled again did the two girls part, one blushing a bit harder than the other.

"S-Sorry," Kumiko mumbled.

"Come on." Reina stood and offered her hand. "Let's go eat."

Kumiko accepted her hand and they headed off into the warm afternoon breeze.

* * *

 **A/N: I just needed girlfriends putting themselves at risk for one another and then fluffy comfort scenes ;~;**

 **I only looked this over once so please (nicely) tell me if you see mistakes!**

 **Also, anyone is welcome to commission a future chapter! Message me if interested!**

 **Please review!**


	6. The Moon And Stars

**Once more, here's my take on what I felt should have happened in episode 12 instead. Some borrowed dialogue from the episode, but most of the events are altered (either omitted or added in) to better fit the storyline I've created for this fic. Please enjoy!**

 **Commission for justanothercalamity! Thank you very much!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Hibike Euphonium.**

* * *

Chapter 6. The Moon And Stars

After the incident with the troublesome upperclassmen girls, Kumiko made sure to keep herself alert and attentive during school and after.

She kept her eyes and ears open for any rumors people might have been spreading about Reina, intent to intercept whomever dared to speak badly of her girlfriend.

But it seemed their confrontation with the older girls had been the last major instance of people intentionally trying to ruin Reina's image.

There were a few grumbles and whispers here and there, but before long, even those faded away.

Kumiko enjoyed those days, practicing hard during school beside her classmates and friends, and then walking home with Reina in the evenings to kiss her goodbye for the night.

A fraction of the days were carefree like that.

But it wasn't long before the pressure started to sink in.

The competition was fewer than three weeks away now, and they all needed to buckle down.

When Taki-sensei demanded she work harder to get her parts right in the ensemble, Kumiko took it to heart and practiced harder than ever before. She implemented Reina's techniques and started practicing during lunch breaks, after school, and generally whenever she could.

The summer days weren't kind to her, and it was difficult to find a spot outside on campus where she could set up her chair and music sheets and still remain in the shade, but wouldn't disturb people.

But she really liked it that first time Reina had found her, silently supported her, and played together with her.

For a few days after that, Reina would come find her, bring her a bottle of cold water to drink, and then practice hard together with her.

Presently, Kumiko thanked her again today for keeping her company.

"You don't need to thank me," Reina said. "Let's just keep improving together. So we can become even more special."

Kumiko nodded and gave a determined grin.

"Right!"

However, the following day, Reina was busy at the time and couldn't come practice with Kumiko.

So the brunette toiled away on her own, sweat dripping profusely from her brow, her arms and legs sticky with it. It was getting a little hard to draw sufficient breath to put into her instrument...

That had been when Sapphire had come to find her and shrieked, informing her that her nose was bleeding. The blonde had forced Kumiko to stop practicing and had frantically brought her inside the building to the nurse's office, calling for Hazuki as well.

All the while as Kumiko held her nose, she kept silently murmuring to them.

"Don't tell Reina..."

After that, everything seemed to become more and more difficult for her.

Despite how diligently she practiced and how hard she pushed herself, it was only a few days later when Taki-sensei addressed the entire ensemble and stated that he wanted only Asuka playing the euphonium parts.

For the remainder of that practice, Kumiko sat still, her euphonium useless in her lap. Her eyes were unfocused and hazy, and she felt as though her senses were out of control. The sounds of the ensemble faded in and out, and it was all she could do not to start crying.

It felt like the world has stopped spinning, or perhaps was spiraling out of control.

By the time practice had ended, she hadn't moved much. After one last announcement and some warnings to the group about the nearing competition, Taki-sensei took his leave. The rest of the students sighed and filed out of the room to put away their instruments, and then head for home.

Asuka and a few of the others lingered, including Hazuki and Sapphire. They murmured to one another, exchanging concerned phrases as they stole glances at Kumiko.

The brunette hadn't moved since Taki-sensei had asked her to stop playing.

"She really took it personally," Sapphire murmured.

"Well, who wouldn't?" Hazuki whispered back.

"I feel a bit bad," Asuka said. "But he warned her that she'd have to get that part perfect."

"She's been trying!" Hazuki whined. "She practiced so hard her nose bled!"

"Excuse me."

A new voice cut into the trio's conversation then, and all three girls looked up.

Reina stood in the doorway, having returned after putting away her trumpet. Sapphire perked up and shared a look with Hazuki before looking back to Reina.

"Kousaka-san."

"Sorry," Reina said. "But could you three give us a moment alone?"

Her eyes were trained exclusively on Kumiko.

All three girls' eyes widened, and Asuka even smirked. But before she could say anything, Hazuki beat her to it.

"Oh, sure!" she whispered. "Of course! Come on you guys, let's beat it!" She put a hand to each of the other girl's backs and herded them toward the door. Despite Asuka's pleas to "watch and see what happened" the others closed the door, tried to hush her, and dragged her away down the hall.

Reina waited until the noise had faded, until she knew Kumiko and herself were alone here and wouldn't be disturbed.

She advanced quietly toward her dejected girlfriend who hadn't moved an inch from her slouched position in almost an hour. Reina paused in front of her, just as Kumiko blinked and lifted her head, recognizing her presence.

"Reina..."

The black-haired girl crouched down a bit, taking the euphonium with both hands. She carefully lifted it out of Kumiko's lap, and placed it aside on a nearby desk out of the way.

Kumiko watched her in confusion, blinking slowly as she tried to keep the tears back.

"Reina... what are you...?"

She trailed off as Reina knelt down in front of her on the floor. She turned her piercing amethyst gaze upon Kumiko's duller hazel one. The brunette longed to look away, ashamed and not wanting Reina to see her cry.

Reina reached out, gently resting her hands on her girlfriend's knees.

"Kumiko..."

But the brunette bit her lip harder and shook her head, whimpering softly. She just felt terrible. She didn't want to talk about it.

"Reina..." Her voice wobbled, and the tears started to overflow.

But before the first one could slip all the way down her cheek, Reina had stood again. She bent forward slightly and wrapped Kumiko tightly in her arms, pulling her close.

Kumiko gasped softly as she felt her girlfriend pull her in.

"Reina...?"

"It's okay," she murmured. "You don't have to say anything."

Kumiko whimpered softly, her arms automatically reaching up to cling at her girlfriend's back. Reina was shielding her from the rest of the world, and she was demanding nothing from Kumiko in return.

The brunette tightened her grip and buried her face in Reina's chest, sobbing softly.

In response, Reina held her close, petting through her hair gently and rubbing her back.

"You idiot..." she murmured. "What's that she said about your nose bleeding? Did you really push yourself that hard without telling me? What did _you_ tell _me_ before? Don't work so hard it endangers your health. That won't do anyone any good."

Kumiko sighed, choking back more tears. She knew Reina was right about that; Kumiko was a hypocrite in that sense, and she pulled herself in closer to her girlfriend.

But she was more than relieved that Reina was here for her now. If not for her girlfriend, Kumiko knew she would have moped and cried alone to herself all the way home, and even after she'd gotten there.

It felt a lot better to be able to cry to Reina, to feel gentle hands on her back and around her shoulders, and to be able to hug her in return.

Her tears seeped silently into Reina's uniform, and her little wails were muffled. She was really glad that Reina didn't ask her to explain things.

Kumiko realized Reina herself probably knew the pain of rejection after trying so hard for something. She was grateful that she wasn't being forced to talk about it now after the entire band had heard Taki-sensei more or less say he didn't need her anymore.

Kumiko didn't know how much time she spent there in her seat, crying into Reina's shirt. But by the time the last of her tears had stopped, Reina was still there with her, holding her close.

Kumiko sighed as she started to calm down at long last, but she was still too embarrassed to show her face, knowing it was puffy and red.

So for a minute, she merely kept her face hidden, nuzzling into Reina's collar. She turned her head, realizing that she could hear the faint, familiar sound of Reina's heart. Kumiko pressed a little closer to savor the sound, letting it quell her gnarled emotions.

A few more minutes passed before the brunette finally felt well enough to pull away.

Reina noticed her girlfriend shift, and she loosened her grip a little. She felt Kumiko straighten her back and pull away.

"Kumiko," Reina murmured. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah..." she mumbled absently. "I'm fine. Thank you, Reina."

"Kumiko..." Reina helped her to her feet, keeping one hand on her shoulder. "I've got to stay after for a bit. Wait for me. I'll walk you home."

"No, it's okay," Kumiko said, plastering a smile. "Not to say I don't wanna go home with you, but I just..." She tapered off with a sigh.

Reina felt she understood a bit.

"Okay. Just text me when you get home then, alright? I want to know you made it safely."

"I will." Kumiko wiped her eyes and then picked up her euphonium and her school bag before turning back to her girlfriend. "Thank you, Reina."

She wanted to say a lot more. She wanted to hug Reina again and kiss her.

But she just didn't feel right. If she did any of those things, she knew she wouldn't feel as happy as she should've while doing so.

She could see the worry in Reina's eyes, her expression clearly flustered. She could tell the girl was debating between letting Kumiko go and keeping her with her.

The brunette didn't think she'd ever seen Reina so conflicted and even somewhat panicked before. Kumiko didn't want to worry her.

"I'll text you when I get home," she repeated. "Don't worry, Reina."

She turned toward the door with her instrument, unable to maintain her thin smile any longer.

But before she could move away, she felt a gentle hand grasp one of her wrists.

"Kumiko..." Reina sounded helpless, at a loss for what she could do.

Kumiko appreciated her concern, but it wasn't necessary.

"I'll text you," she said again. Stepping away, she moved out of her girlfriend's grasp.

Reina flinched slightly, sucking in a sharp breath.

"It's going to be alright," she said firmly.

Kumiko paused for a moment longer, absorbing the words.

Then, without another word, she headed for the doors. She could feel her girlfriend's eyes boring into her back all the while, but she didn't turn back.

Kumiko took her euphonium to the next room where the band members kept their instruments stored at school overnight. She all but limped over to her cubby and knelt down on the floor to slide her euphonium in place. She knelt there for a minute, clutching onto her school bag, head bowed as she fought back more bitter tears.

Not a moment later, she heard footsteps, and a soft knock at the doorway. Part of her hoped it was Reina, and yet when she looked up to find it wasn't, part of her was a little glad.

Hazuki and Sapphire stood before her, wearing small smiles.

"Kumiko-chan!" Hazuki called to her. "Midori-chan really wants to go get something to eat. You wanna come?"

The brunette quickly wiped off her face and cleared her throat.

"Sure."

She forced her voice back to its usual, cheerful tone, and put on another smile, figuring it would be in her own best interest to distract herself from everything by going for a meal with friends.

With one last sniffle, she lifted her bag and headed toward the door.

* * *

The three of them grabbed some food as they were walking home, and ate on the benches near the station.

They chatted casually – or rather, Hazuki was the one who did most of the talking – but Kumiko didn't mind. She felt that being around her friends and absorbing the more positive, energetic atmosphere would do her some good.

After they'd finished eating and had thrown away their trash, the conversation took a natural turn toward Kumiko's wellbeing. They asked if she was alright, and suggested she try to cheer up.

"You did great, Kumiko-chan!" Sapphire said. "Cheer up! After all, you reached the Moon!"

At the time, Kumiko offered another half-hearted smile.

But after she'd parted ways with her friends and bid them goodnight, those words stuck with her for a while on her walk home.

 _She said I reached the moon like I'd wanted to... but I don't think I have..._

She wanted to become even more special to Reina than she already was.

In response to Kumiko's declaration, Reina had stated that she would become even more special, not in an effort to hurt Kumiko's feelings, but to motivate her. Kumiko understood that very well, that Reina had been doing her best all this time to support her.

And Kumiko had failed.

She'd failed herself and she'd failed Reina, she'd failed Asuka and her friends, she'd failed Taki-sensei and the entire ensemble.

As she walked the dark streets of the town illuminated only by white streetlight and the blur of passing cars, Kumiko didn't think the moon was watching over her.

Her thoughts were a massive jumble, like a chaotic wasp's nest, all trying to sting her.

 _I couldn't produce the sound I wanted. I could hear it perfectly in my head, but I couldn't make it. I couldn't get my breath right. I couldn't get my fingers right. I couldn't get anything right in the end..._

Her shoes tapped slowly on the concrete sidewalk, her shoulders slumped and eyes glazed as the depressing thoughts overtook her.

But in the face of rejection, there was an overwhelming sense to fight back.

 _I want to improve..._

She blinked, and more hot tears were already streaming down her face.

 _I want to improve. I want to improve..._

Her pace quickened until she was running, pushing through the crowds of oncoming passerby and just _running_ , adrenaline pumping through her veins, mixed with frustration, anger, and sadness.

She was feeling a lot of things as she ran, too many to name or recognize.

But above all else arose one emotion.

Motivation.

The desire to improve.

Every thought was for improvement - every urgent breath, every bitter tear, every jarring step.

All to improve.

To get better.

To get one step closer to her goal.

To the "Moon."

By this point she was running faster than her legs had ever carried her before. The laps she'd done around the track in recent months to help improve her breathing were paying off now, and she sprinted in long strides, having no set destination in mind.

She could feel the tears pouring down her cheeks, her hair suspended in the wind behind her, her eyes burning.

Only when she finally started to feel the ache in her legs did she stop, throwing herself against the guard rail near the water and gasping brokenly.

 _I'm so upset... I'm so upset I could die!_

There was a physical pain in her chest, but it wasn't from the run. It was produced by the excruciating reality of things - that she'd never be good enough to stand proudly by Reina's side in this competition.

With another frustrated gasp she lifted her head, feeling more warm wetness leak down her cheeks. She inhaled sharply, then let her voice out over the water.

 _"I want to improve!"_

As the echo faded away and was drowned out by the hiss of passing cars on the street behind her, Kumiko clutched her shaking hands to the railing and panted for breath, not even bothering to wipe her eyes anymore at this point.

It was the call of her name in a familiar male voice that got her attention.

"Shuuichi..."

She didn't need to turn around to know it was him. Surely he was concerned about her, but she didn't need pity right now.

She stepped away from the water and took off running once again, calling out to the boy behind her.

"I'll see you tomorrow!"

She hated the idea of anyone seeing her like this. Only Reina's presence was comforting enough to bear when Kumiko was so distraught like she was now.

She ran all the way home, where she denied her elder sister's call for supper.

In the darkness of her room, Kumiko lost herself to her thoughts once more. She hadn't turned on her air conditioning as a punishment of sorts for herself, and the heat was making her sweat.

Lying on her bed, she buried her face into her blankets for a long moment and thought over everything – last year's competition, Reina's past declaration of the feelings Kumiko was experiencing right now, their auditions, Reina's support of her, her own toiling hours of practice...

All of it for nothing.

 _Reina... I'm so sorry..._

The thoughts of her girlfriend had Kumiko suddenly sitting up and glancing at the clock. She'd been home for almost an hour now and had failed to call Reina.

Scrambling off the bed, she rushed to her school bag and scoured the pockets, only to discover her phone was missing, likely left behind at school.

She easily could have used her home phone to call her girlfriend, but she figured a walk at this hour of the night could help clear her head.

Therefore, she changed out of her uniform and put on more casual clothes before informing her mother and sister that she was heading back to the school to retrieve her phone. She didn't give them a chance to stop her, and was sprinting out the door in a matter of seconds.

She ran only for a few blocks, letting the cooler night breeze soothe her a bit until she'd slowed her pace to a jog. Her thoughts were still jumbled and warring, but now more than the anguish she'd been suffering earlier, she was starting to feel guilty about not having called Reina yet.

Kumiko knew that if their positions had been reversed and Reina hadn't called her even hours after she'd said she would, Kumiko would've been very concerned.

It was the thought of getting to hear Reina's voice again tonight that had her quickening her pace back up to a sprint.

* * *

When she finally reached the school, she was a little sheepish in having to talk to one of the guards on duty and explain her presence here at this late hour.

She wasn't all that surprised to find that Taki-sensei was still here as well, filing papers and getting some things organized. She greeted him, explained the situation, and then followed him up the stairs to the room where the students kept their instruments.

As they walked, Taki-sensei told Kumiko about his father and how he'd once taught at this very school. She listened attentively, asking a few questions here or there just to prove she was listening.

Once she had found her cell phone where it'd fallen to the floor, her advisor led her back downstairs to the exit doors.

It was what he said as he was wishing her goodbye that really perked her up.

"Keep practicing that part you were having trouble with, please. For the Kansai Competition. I haven't forgotten that you said you could do it," he smiled.

Kumiko blinked her eyes wide, then quickly threw her shoulders forward in a slight bow.

"Y-Yes!"

With that, she tore off again, once more with no precise destination in mind.

His words just now had given her the faintest ray of hope since this afternoon. This meant that if she worked even harder and put in more effort and _finally_ executed her part perfectly, Taki-sensei would give her another chance.

She ran back toward town, keeping to the sidewalks again. But she'd done a lot of running tonight already, fueled only by the small meal she'd shared with her friends earlier.

Kumiko soon paused for a break, leaning back against the guard rails overlooking the lake beyond.

It was then she decided to check her phone. She was both shocked and flattered to find that Reina had called her no fewer than five times within just as many hours.

But then guilt swept over her for having worried her girlfriend so much.

Kumiko swiped Reina's number instantly to call her. It hadn't even finished ringing the first time before it was answered.

"Kumiko?"

"Hello, Reina?"

"Kumiko, you-"

"Reina. Can we meet up right now?"

"...Now?"

"Yeah, by the station."

There was a pause, and Kumiko thought she heard shuffling on the other line, as though Reina were already moving toward the door.

"Stay put. I'll be right there."

"Okay."

Kumiko hung up, then leaned her weight back against the guard rail.

Tilting her head back, her eyes went to the stars, sprinkled like white glitter over a black canvas. It reminded her of the night of the festival, the time she'd spent alone with Reina up on that mountain.

At that time, they hadn't been girlfriends yet.

Kumiko didn't know for how long she was musing to herself, but she did realize that her mind was much less discombobulated right now. The stress and anxieties from earlier today had dwindled to the farthest corners of her mind.

Now, she focused on the sky, on the second chance Taki-sensei had given her, and on the thought of seeing Reina again soon.

It ended up being sooner than she expected, actually.

There were a lot of footsteps pattering by as people walked the streets, but one set was more frantic than the rest.

"Kumiko!"

The brunette looked up ahead at the sound of her name, fairly shocked that her girlfriend had gotten here so quickly.

"Reina-?"

It was a question, because Reina was running straight toward her, her casual blue dress flowing in the wind behind her. She wasn't stopping, and Kumiko thought she intended to take them both over the rail and into the water.

Kumiko braced herself, opening her arms slightly-

"Kumiko!"

Reina crashed into her softly, throwing her arms around her back and burying her face in Kumiko's collar. The brunette was sent a step back at the gentle impact, her back bumping against the rail, but the force she'd been expecting wasn't anything like what she actually received.

Naturally, her arms went to Reina's waist, wrapping around the small of her back. She could feel her girlfriend panting slightly, and could safely assume she'd just ran all the way here.

"Reina? What's the matter?"

The black-haired girl released a withering sigh into her girlfriend's chest, then straightened up pointedly, bracing her hands on either of Kumiko's shoulders. Her amythest eyes were firm and piercing as she bore them into hazel.

"Are you an idiot?" she snapped. "You said you'd text me once you got home. What have you been doing all this time? Didn't you see that I called you?"

"Whoa, whoa!" Kumiko lifted her hands up to pacify her flustered girlfriend. "Reina, calm down-"

"It's nearly eleven at night. I've been pulling my hair out for the past four hours, Kumiko. Don't tell me to calm down." Her eyes flashed with a bit of anger, but Kumiko realized it was only because Reina had been so worried about her.

She sighed, and her lips curled up into a smile – a real one this time – not like the ones she'd forced earlier today.

"I'm sorry. I forgot my phone at school."

"You couldn't call me from your house?"

"Sorry," Kumiko repeated. "I know that every second I waited was probably only making you more scared, but I wanted to see you. In person."

Reina traveled her gaze over Kumiko for a moment, trying to asses whether or not she was upset. But the false smile was gone, now exchanged for a real one, and that helped ease her mind a bit.

"Well, I'm here now," she mumbled. "What did you want to talk about?"

Kumiko hesitated in answering.

"Let's go find someplace to sit. You looked flushed."

Reina huffed, but didn't argue.

Kumiko let out a small giggle, then reached for her girlfriend's hands. She pressed a small kiss to Reina's cheek.

"Sorry I troubled you. But thanks for worrying about me." She pulled Reina into another brief embrace, feeling her sigh.

"You're an idiot..."

Kumiko chuckled, then pulled away.

She kept her hand in Reina's as she led her toward a small convenience store nearby. It was quieter at this hour of the night, fewer people running about to jostle them.

Kumiko brought them toward the store, intending to use the quieter atmosphere to speak.

Outside by the doors, the pair paused, and Reina reached into a small purse she'd taken with her. She extracted a bottle of water and offered it to her girlfriend.

Kumiko realized she hadn't drank anything since that afternoon. She wondered how many times it had been now that Reina had saved her from dehydration.

She took a few gulps before handing the bottle back to Reina.

"Thank you."

"You're welcome." Reina pressed her lips to the rim of the bottle and took a few sips for herself. "Now then, what's got you so worked up?"

"Oh, right!" Kumiko beamed, her eyes sparkling and eager. "I was alone with Taki-sensei until just now, and he said- ah!" Her eyes had been drawn to the small game behind her girlfriend with a familiar character on the front. "Eupho-kun?!" she squealed.

Brushing past Reina, Kumiko dropped to her knees and started fishing through her pockets for coins.

Meanwhile, Reina was utterly baffled by several things, one being just how easily her girlfriend could get distracted.

But above all else, it was what she'd just been told.

The water bottle fell limply from her hands, the remaining liquid spilling out onto the pavement below. Reina stared blankly for a moment, her eyes unblinking as she tried to process Kumiko's words.

Her girlfriend was having a blast getting excited all by herself, fiddling with the toy dispenser.

Reina shook her head slowly and tried to get a hold of herself.

"Kumiko..." She turned back to face her girlfriend, then took a few steps toward her. "Kumiko..."

The brunette was too fixated on her game, inserting the coins and turning the knob, then crying out in excitement when she received it.

"Wow! First try!"

"Hey, Kumiko..."

"I don't believe it!"

"Kumiko!" Reina tapped the other girl's shoulder and shook it gently.

The brunette continued fawning over her prize, giggling to herself a moment longer.

Flustered, Reina raised her voice in desperation.

" _Ku-mi-ko!_ "

At last, she finally seemed to get her girlfriend's attention. Kumiko slipped the little toy into her shorts pocket and got to her feet.

"Sorry! I don't really see merch of Eupho-kun too often. And I got the one I wanted on the first try! How lucky is that? Also! I realized it before and I need to say it! I like the euphonium!" she babbled.

"Kumiko!" Reina all but shouted, but her voice was more desperate than angry.

"Y-Yes?!"

Reina sighed, her eyes flashing up at the other girl's face, then down at the ground.

"Finish what you were saying."

"Huh?"

"What do you mean you were- …alone with Taki-sensei...?" Reina lifted her face, and her eyes were watering slightly, her lips pursed firmly and her cheeks flushed.

Kumiko felt she understood now.

"Oh... yeah. I'd forgotten my phone at school so I went to go get it. Taki-sensei was there and he told me about his father. And then he said-"

"School?" Reina cut her off. "You mean... you just saw him at school?"

"Yeah," Kumiko said. "Ah, but I guess that was kind of an awkward thing to tell you, huh? You have a crush on him, after all. I guess you don't like the thought of me being with him..." Kumiko took a step back.

But Reina rushed forward to cover the distance, grabbing both of the brunette's hands in her own.

"Kumiko!" she snapped. "Do you ever listen to me? I've said this before and I'll say it as many times as it takes. I _used_ to have a crush on Taki-sensei, but that's over. It was just a child's crush. It's not the thought of you being with him I don't like. It's the thought of _him_ being with _you_. Or _anyone_ being alone with you, really." Reina sucked in a breath and locked her wavering gaze with hazel. "I don't want it to be anyone else, Kumiko. Just me."

Kumiko blinked, baffled by Reina's heartfelt words.

"So you... you were worried about me being with him?"

Reina nodded.

"Being alone with someone so late at night... I don't like it, Kumiko. Please, if something like this happens again, call me and I'll come with you."

Kumiko was still for a moment, absorbing Reina's words; the man she'd once had a crush on was just another average person to Reina now. She cared for Kumiko first and foremost, and Kumiko felt guilty in ever thinking otherwise of Reina.

"Sorry," she mumbled.

Reina tightened her grip on Kumiko's wrists, keeping her close.

"I don't know what more it'll take to get through to you, Kumiko. I like _you_ , not Taki-sensei."

Reina gave a small tug, pulling her forward. She pressed her lips to her girlfriend's in an effort to convey her feelings silently.

Kumiko found her fingers trapped by Reina's, her hands being clutched to the other girl's collar. She didn't waste a second in returning the kiss, able to feel the warm tenderness with which Reina's lips moved against hers.

She closed her eyes, letting her hands go limp in Reina's desperate grasp, feeling her fingertips brush over the soft skin of her collar and the fabrics of her dress. Reina's heart was beating fervently, and she was determined to make Kumiko realize her true feelings.

Kumiko felt awful for doubting her affections a second time now, feeling as though she still needed to compete against Taki-sensei for Reina's heart.

But deep down, she knew there was no competition.

Kumiko had already been named the victor, and she didn't ever intend to give up her position.

She could feel Reina's fingers trembling, and Kumiko gently slipped her own hands free, only to place them on either of the black-haired girl's sides. Kumiko softened the hard, desperate kiss, moving her lips more gingerly against Reina's now. She rubbed her thumbs over the girl's sides, feeling as Reina's hands dropped to her waist as well.

After a moment, Kumiko finally pulled back, feeling Reina's labored breath on her lips.

"Sorry," she murmured again, dipping her head to nuzzle against Reina's neck. "It's just hard to believe sometimes that someone like you really... feels this way about me..."

Reina sighed into her soft brown curls, rubbing her sides gently.

"And why would that surprise you? You're a hardworking person. You're passionate about what you love. You can be aloof and detached with things that don't concern you so you won't waste energy on such things. But when it's something you really care about, you're expressive and you react strongly. I like all those things about you, Kumiko. You're special. At least to me."

With a small gasp, Kumiko clung tighter to her girlfriend's back, fighting against the tears that threatened to swell up again.

"Reina..." she rasped, though her lips were smiling. "No fair. I can't... think of something to say... You already know you're special to me, too..."

"You don't have to say anything," Reina murmured. "I just wanted you to know."

For a moment longer, her fingers continued trailing up and down Kumiko's back, then threaded through her short hair.

Kumiko did the same, playing with her longer silken tresses as she hugged her, nestling her face into the side of her girlfriend's neck. She sighed, breathing in Reina's scent and her perfume, enjoying this moment and their privacy for all it was worth.

But not unlike a few days ago after those upperclassmen girls had caused trouble, their moment was interrupted by a growl in her stomach.

Kumiko whimpered and blushed, hiding her face in Reina's dress.

The other girl sighed with a smile on her lips.

"You didn't have dinner?"

"Ah, no..." Kumiko confessed. "I was kind of all over the place tonight. Literally."

"Then let's get something to eat."

With one final squeeze, Reina let her go.

Kumiko stepped back, brushing their noses together briefly before holding a small kiss to Reina's brow, silent thanks for everything she'd done for her tonight.

Reina accepted it whole-heartedly, kissing the girl's cheek in return.

Sensing they were about to take their leave, she stepped back only slightly in order to pick up her fallen water bottle. Kumiko smiled, thinking it was just like Reina to throw away her trash properly first.

Once she was finished, Reina reached for Kumiko again.

Keeping their hands together, they headed off for the nearest restaurant.

It was mostly empty inside, save from a few other customers, and the two girls were led to a booth beside the windows. They sat across from one another, each with a menu in front of them.

"Are you going to eat?" Kumiko wondered.

"I'm fine."

"You can have some of mine then."

Reina sighed again but nodded. She ordered a glass of water for herself, and Kumiko did the same, ordering an omelette as well.

Once the waitress had left them, Reina got back to the matter at hand.

"So?"

"Hm?"

"You never finished telling me what Taki-sensei said."

"Oh yeah!" Kumiko's eyes lit up, her smile wide as she spoke. "He said... he said he hadn't forgotten how I'd said I was going to work hard and get this piece right. He's going to give me another chance, Reina!"

The girl opposite her was clearly surprised by the news, but it was only seconds before her smile had returned as well.

"That's great, Kumiko. I told you Taki-sensei was awesome."

"Yeah! He's a great advisor!"

"But still," Reina said. "If you ever need to go see him, let me come along."

Kumiko was flattered that her girlfriend was so protective of her. She nodded.

"You got it."

As they waited for Kumiko's food to arrive, Reina used her phone to text her parents and reassure them she was fine. Kumiko felt she should do the same.

As she typed, her feet accidentally bumped into Reina's beneath the table.

"S-Sorry."

But Reina merely smiled that familiar angel's smile.

"Don't mind it."

After that, Kumiko dared to wrap her ankles around Reina's, a small, silent contact to keep them close when they couldn't hold hands.

Her food arrived not long afterward, and she gratefully cut into it. She cut off a few pieces and pushed them toward Reina's side of the plate. But her girlfriend shook her head.

"You should eat it, Kumiko."

"I am! But I can't eat all of it, so help me."

She picked up a piece on her fork, then held it across the table.

Reina's cheeks turned pink and she quickly surveyed the restaurant. No one else was watching.

Therefore, she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, then leaned forward to bite the piece of omelette off.

Kumiko giggled, remembering the last time she'd fed Reina. Her girlfriend had been awfully sick at the time, and it had been risky in feeding her hot soup.

But now, it was immensely more enjoyable to know Reina wasn't ill and there was no potential risk of either of them getting burnt.

Kumiko continued to eat her meal, occasionally holding out a piece for Reina.

By the time they'd finished and gotten the bill, Reina was pulling out her wallet. Kumiko used her feet to tug at one of Reina's in protest.

"Reina! What do you think you're doing?"

"Paying for what I ate."

"No way!"

They bickered in hushed voices for a moment, but ultimately Kumiko won, only allowing Reina to pay the bare minimum for her glass of water.

After leaving their tip, the two girls stood and exited the restaurant.

It was nearly midnight by now, and the air was cool and refreshing, though their palms were warm where they were held together.

For a while, they enjoyed the silence, until Kumiko's thoughts got the better of her mouth.

"Do you think we'll be alright for the competition?" she wondered.

Reina tilted her head to the side before offering her opinion.

"I think if you get your part perfect and Taki-sensei asks for you back, then we'll be just fine."

Kumiko smiled, squeezing Reina's fingers a little harder.

"Hey, Reina...?" Her voice grew softer, so Reina adjusted her own tone accordingly.

"Yes?"

"Before... I was... I was really upset. I was a total mess. I was so ashamed of myself, I felt like I wanted to die..."

Reina paused in her walking, causing Kumiko to stop as well. The black-haired girl tugged her closer, seeking her eyes.

"Kumiko..."

"But-" The brunette lifted her face, boring her gaze into Reina's without hesitation this time. "But I realized... that's how you felt back then, at the competition when we lost. I realized that's how you've _always_ felt... And that's why you trained so hard to get to be where you are today. I want to work hard too, Reina. So that I'm worthy of playing together with you at your side."

Her hazel eyes glimmered like golden starlight, and Reina lost herself in them for a moment. She couldn't stop herself from leaning forward and pressing another brief kiss to Kumiko's lips.

"You're already there, Kumiko. You're the only person I want by my side, whether it's playing in concert band, or doing anything else."

Kumiko's smile couldn't fade away anymore.

"Thanks, Reina."

They continued on their way. Reina was intent to walk her home and make sure she got there safely after the long, exhausting day Kumiko had gone through.

Once they reached their destination, Reina let go of her hand, only to cup the girl's cheeks for one last kiss goodnight.

"Get some rest," Reina murmured. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"You too," Kumiko agreed. "And text me when you get home, okay?"

Reina rolled her eyes and pouted a little.

" _I_ actually will," she said.

"Right."

Kumiko waved to her before watching her Snow Spirit turn away and head off.

Determined to get some rest so she may tackle tomorrow head-on at Reina's side, Kumiko retreated inside after one last glance up at the silver moon above.

* * *

 **A/N: I wanted to write something like the previous chapters - something that put a twist on the most recent episode - and I wanted to make sure I got that "moon" tidbit in there. It was absolutely a metaphor for Reina ;3 And I added the bit about Kumiko's eyes looking like the stars and whatnot. Can't get much more romantic than night sky comparisons, right?**

 **Also, I could finally incorporate that first chapter into the rest of the story! So now it all kinda flows together!**

 **Depending on how the final episode plays out, I might make the next chapter the last one! We'll see! I hope I can find the time to write chapter 7 and post it as quickly as I've been doing so with the rest of them thus far.**

 **Please review!**


	7. Tight Hair, Tight Hugs

**Ah gosh I'm sorry this is so late! I wrote it a while ago but had no time to edit and post it for a few days afterward. So thanks for waiting! Here is my twist on the finale!**

 **The first half is mostly a recap of the episode with my twists in it, but the more interesting parts come in a little later.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Hibike Euphonium.**

* * *

Chapter 7. Tight Hair, Tight Hugs

At long last, the morning of the Kansai Competition was upon them.

After weeks of intense practicing and anxiety-inducing anticipation, it was finally time.

That morning, Kumiko woke early, at least half an hour before her alarm went off. Part of her wanted to get out of bed immediately, but she knew if she did so early, her mother would scold her for not getting enough sleep on such a big day.

So she lie there for a while, waiting for the inevitable alarm to go off. She was already wide awake, and knew that trying to rest again would bear fruitless results.

Therefore, she reached for her cell phone and selected the top number on her messaging list – the last number she'd texted as well as the most frequent. She sent out a small message that read: _Good morning._

The reply was less than a half a minute later, as Kumiko had expected. It read: _Good morning. You have perfect timing._

Kumiko smiled and typed back: _I knew you'd be awake. You've probably been up longer than I have. Make sure you try to rest a bit more this morning. For me?_

This time, Reina's response took a moment, but when it did arrive Kumiko smiled after reading it: _Fine. For you._

She stopped texting her girlfriend for a little while in hopes that Reina was also still in bed and hopefully trying to rest up until the last minute.

When that minute did arrive, Kumiko was reaching out to silence her alarm before it had even finished the first beep. With a soft moan, she pushed herself up from the mattress and slipped her legs free.

She made quick work of freshening up in the bathroom and changing into her uniform. Then, she took a moment to tie back her hair, as was required for a competition.

Once ready, she left her bag behind, knowing she wouldn't need it for today.

But she paused one last time when her phone vibrated, and she checked the messages. Reina had sent her one last motivational text:

 _See you soon._

It certainly motivated Kumiko to get going.

After a brief breakfast and a chat with her mother – and even her elder sister – about today's competition, Kumiko was out the door and calling goodbyes over her shoulder.

She found it was impossible to walk at a controlled pace that morning. The adrenaline coursing through her was too great, so she matched it by running to the station.

There, she met with Reina, unsure if it was accidental or intentional. They shared a soft greeting kiss, then spent a train ride side by side, nudging elbows and giggling the jitters away.

Once they arrived at their stop, they hurried to school together.

The band was to meet up and form a group in a designated area beside the school buildings so they may take attendance and then quickly depart on the buses.

Kumiko greeted Hazuki and Sapphire, but stuck close to her girlfriend for the time being. While her other two friends were lost in conversation together, Kumiko stole another kiss from Reina.

The black-haired girl had yet to tie her hair up, and so when Kumiko wrapped her in a brief, random hug, she felt loose onyx strands swaying in the breeze over her arms. Reina's arms were around her as well in seconds, squeezing Kumiko tightly. The brunette was even a bit surprised by her passion and coughed a bit at the tightness.

"R-Reina... are you okay?" she murmured. "Your heart's really going." She could feel it for herself, hammering against her own chest.

Reina pulled back after a few seconds and used one hand to toss some hair over her shoulder.

"Look who's talking. You're nervous, too."

"Of course I am," Kumiko said. "If there's someone here today who isn't nervous and shaking, then I don't think they should compete."

Her response was rewarded with a smile from her girlfriend.

When they were certain no one else was looking, they shared another short kissing, using it as a temporary distraction to allow the other to swallow her fears.

They parted, feeling a bit less edgy, and only a few minutes later, the parking lot was crowded with the band members, and buses were beginning to arrive.

Once their advisors had arrived and Taki-sensei had given his speech, all of the band members were taken by surprise when the people who hadn't passed auditions presented them with little good luck charms.

Kumiko listened as everyone's names were called and the girls would go to hand out the charms. When it was her turn, Hazuki ran straight toward her and Reina.

"Kousaka-san! Kumiko! Here!" She placed a charm into each of their palms. "They're the same pattern, just in different colors," Hazuki winked. She flashed a glance at Kumiko and stuck her tongue out slightly before hurrying on to deliver other charms.

Kumiko was left with her mouth agape for a moment before she felt Reina nudge her side.

"Kumiko? What is it?"

The brunette laughed dryly.

"She knows..."

"Huh?"

"Hazuki knows..." Kumiko shared a glance with her girlfriend and shrugged. "She totally knows we're dating. But don't worry, she won't tell. We'll have to do that ourselves."

"That's right," Reina affirmed. "We said we'd do it after the competition, whether we win or lose."

"Yeah." Kumiko offered a reassuring smile.

Even if everything fell through somehow in the end, they'd still have each other.

After hearing a few inspirational words from Taki-sensei, the band members were allowed onto the buses. They talked and chatted on the entire ride to keep their thoughts off their nervousness, trying to instead spread good vibes and motivation to those who were uncomfortable.

Kumiko noticed that a few of the girls were getting queasy, be it from the bus ride, the nerves, or a combination of both. Even Reina occasionally put a hand to her mouth and then promptly straightened her back to compose herself.

Kumiko realized the anxieties were normal, and that was how most of them should have been feeling, especially first-year students or people who had never performed in a serious competition before.

The last time she'd attended, Kumiko hadn't felt nervous at all, and she hadn't even been that fazed by the results that their band had received fake gold.

Because she'd never had faith in them enough to believe they could achieve anything better than that.

Because she hadn't worked hard enough to _cry_ and _scream_ in desperation for wanting it so badly.

Because she'd never taken it seriously.

But it was different this year.

Her stomach was doing flips constantly, and she felt lightheaded. But she didn't let the uneasiness get to her. She used it as fuel for herself.

 _This is only happening... because I'm taking it seriously now. Because I worked so hard and I know we actually have a shot at winning this time. With how much we've practiced over the weeks, and how far we've come... and with Reina playing our solo..._

She cast a glance at her girlfriend where she was seated a few rows away. Reina caught her eye and held her gaze for a moment before giving a slight nod.

And for the rest of the bus ride, Kumiko didn't feel as awfully nervous.

* * *

When they arrived at last, the band members exited the bus and tried to get their bearings.

Many of them shared hugs of reassurance, especially the people who wouldn't be performing. Their job today was to act as cheerleaders and motivators for the others.

They were greeted by the staff of the Kansai Competition, and after they'd all retrieved their instruments from the other bus carrying them, they were eventually led inside the building.

As Kumiko stood in the crowd listening to instructions, she fidgeted a bit in her spot.

 _It's just like Midori-chan said before..._ she recalled. _I'm only nervous because I'm scared of failing. And I'm only scared of failing because I know how hard we all worked for this. I don't want to be the one to mess things up..._

Once she'd been given permission, she crouched down on the floor with her euphonium and opened the case, looking over it fondly and making sure it was in its best condition. That was when a familiar voice called out her name once again.

"Kumiko." Reina walked up to her before turning around and crouching in front of her, holding back her hair, as well as a hair tie. She presented both to her girlfriend, keeping her face turned away.  
"Help me tie my hair."

"Oh, sure." Kumiko reached out to gather Reina's hair carefully.

"Tightly."

"Got it."

She moved her hands smoothly through Reina's silken locks, fastening the hair tie around the base of the ponytail closest to her girlfriend's head. From here, Kumiko could smell Reina's trademark scent - comforting and cool - only one of which she'd ever expect to feel from a Snow Spirit.

Reina was still beneath her touch, breathing evenly despite everything that was going on around them.

Kumiko tended to her hair, looping the ponytail around a few times and tightening it when she was finished.

Shortly afterward, Natsuki came by for a bit of encouragement, holding out her fist to Kumiko.

"Oumae-san."

Kumiko blinked up at her, then smiled and returned the bump of her knuckles. Once Natsuki had gone, Reina mumbled softly.

"Nakagawa-senpai's pretty cool."

"Yeah."

Reina snorted a little bit and leaned back against Kumiko's chest.

"You didn't have to agree..."

"Don't be jealous." Kumiko giggled and squeezed Reina's stomach in a brief, light hug.

Soon afterward, she let go, and the group was ordered to change locations. They took their instruments with them into a large room where they'd be waiting until it was their turn to perform.

In the waiting area, the air was thick and heavy as people tuned their instruments, did sound checks, and fixed anything that might've sounded even slightly amiss.

But despite the anxieties and the inner turmoil that they were all doing their best to conceal, the room wasn't loud – not from talking, anyway. They gave practice blows to their instruments and played over a few of the more difficult parts, but the speaking was kept to a minimum.

Maybe it was because they wanted to seem as professional as possible, or maybe it was because they wanted to save their breath for playing. Either way, it was almost strangely silent in their waiting room.

Kumiko had just finished ensuring her euphonium sounded perfect, after having gotten the opinions of Asuka, Hazuki, and Sapphire.

A few minutes later, Taki-sensei called for attention, and they all played a few warm-up pieces together. Kumiko realized it wasn't just for practicing purposes, either. When they all played together and produced that familiar, pleasant sound, a sense of calm came over everyone.

It made them all remember they'd done this a million times before. They were simply doing it again in a different room now.

Thinking like that helped to lessen the ever-present pressure of the competition beyond these walls.

After a few minutes of practice, the apparent weight within the air seemed to dissipate, until the anxieties had been reduced to nothing more than a few butterflies in stomachs.

Once they were all a bit more comfortable, Taki-sensei called for silence so he may give a motivational speech. He spoke of all their trials up until this point, their ambition, and how they should be proud. Kumiko noticed she wasn't the only one who puffed her chest out a little bit after that. He wrapped up his speech by opening the door that would lead them to the stage.

"Everyone, let's go to Nationals," he said with a smile.

Kumiko felt as though a warm wave had washed over her, spreading energy through her and giving life to a body that had previously been cold.

She took a step forward toward those doors and-

"Uweh!"

A sudden poke in her side had her jolting as she whipped around.

Reina looked up at her with playful amethyst eyes.

"It's the performance. Let's do this." Her lips curled upward, into a familiar angelic smile.

Kumiko was drawn to that smile for a moment before her eyes focused in determination.

"Yeah."

Together, the band advanced toward the stage, instruments in-hand.

They all took their seats in the minimal lighting and placed their school's name banners over their music sheet stands.

Kumiko glanced to her side where Asuka was sitting, euphonium in her lap. The older girl cast her a brief glance, then directed her gaze to the floor.

"It's a little sad, isn't it? We had so much fun, and now it's about to end."

It was certainly off-putting to find her usually-energetic upperclassman so melancholy, so reserved and quiet. Kumiko might've even gone so far as to call her insecure with the things she was saying.

Asuka heaved a sigh. "I wish summer could go on forever..."

Kumiko blinked, somewhat puzzled at her.

"What are you talking about? It isn't over yet. We're going to Nationals," she stated firmly.

Asuka met her gaze, her own expression shocked for an instant before it faded into another sad smile.

"Right. Come to think of it, that was our goal."

Satisfied that she'd helped to lift Asuka's spirits a bit, Kumiko faced forward where she knew the audience to be just ahead of them.

Then, the lights came on, filling the room with color and sound as the announcement was made that Kitauji would be performing now.

Kumiko shared one last glance with her girlfriend from across the room, catching Reina's eye as she raised her trumpet at Taki-sensei's silent command.

 _We can do this._

Everyone readied themselves and their instruments. Their eyes were glued to their conductor's hands as he lifted them.

There was a collective breath shared between them all.

And then, the silent room was filled with sound.

The music was vigorous, vivacious, and passionate right from the very first note. It echoed throughout the auditorium, casting out from the stage and all the way to the very back of the audience.

Within just the first ten seconds, even as she focused on her music, Kumiko was alert enough to listen for the other instruments. The trombones were supportive, the clarinets and flutes clear, the drums strong...

And the trumpets were hearty and sounded together flawlessly.

Kumiko sent silent congratulations and support out to her girlfriend, knowing Reina must have been doing the same for her. They couldn't see one another, but Kumiko felt as though there was something connecting them intangibly, like a small tug on her hand.

She liked to imagine it as a red string of fate.

Picturing Reina with the other end tied to her pinky finger was a nice thing to think about.

Kumiko concentrated on her music, trying not to let any unnecessary thoughts get in the way. The nervousness was all but gone, and now she merely focused on the fun of it all.

It might've been a competition, but she was still doing the thing she loved, with the people she loved.

The first song finished, and they were all given a moment to breathe before Taki-sensei raised his arms and they prepared to go into the second piece. The transition was smooth and pleasant, and the sound produced was equally so. Kumiko tapped her foot along with the beat, going over everything in her head just seconds before it happened.

 _Flutes enter... now the drum speeds up... euphs are coming up..._ She readied her instrument and came in at the exact second.

It was almost surreal to be playing here like this. Her heart was thumping quickly, but her body was oddly calm, her posture straight and eyes focused on her music and the commands.

Her breath didn't hitch, her fingers didn't slip.

Every second that passed without incident added to her excitement, but also to her dread at the possibility of the next second harboring a disaster.

Time didn't seem to exist. Only the music. Only their melodic sounds and their breaths and the rhythm filling the air.

The second piece moved along smoothly and without incident, and by the end, Kumiko needed the brief break in between songs to catch her breath. The rest of the band around her got the same moment of rest.

But there was one person who didn't get such a luxury.

Almost instantly after the second piece had ended, a familiar trumpet began to play, clear and supported.

Kumiko closed her eyes briefly as she absorbed the heavenly sound, like a tune being played directly from the clouds above.

When she re-opened her eyes, she could see Reina very slightly from across the stage. Kumiko knew she'd perform flawlessly just as she always did, but even so, she sent her girlfriend silent good luck wishes.

The seconds ticked on as the solo continued.

And then, the final note was held out on a long, steady sound.

The other instruments got added in gradually, and when it was Kumiko's turn, she played with every shred of vigor still left in her. She remembered to breathe, to move her fingers, to keep her eyes focused...

And then all was suddenly silent.

For a moment, the only sounds in the auditorium were those of the band members' labored breathing.

And then the audience erupted in applause, clapping and cheering for Kiatuji and Kitauji alone.

It was over.

Kumiko glanced around herself, panting for breath, finding her classmates in much the same condition.

Her eyes sought out Reina first, finding her girlfriend was also breathing rather harshly after over five full minutes of almost nonstop playing with only a few short seconds to breathe in between.

But as soon as Kumiko looked to her, Reina seemed to sense her eyes and met them with her own.

She didn't smile – Kumiko felt she was in too much disbelief at the moment to do that, which was certainly understandable. It would take a little while for them all to realize what they'd worked so long and hard towards for months had come to an end in a matter of minutes.

At Taki-sensei's wave, they all stood and bowed to the audience, then took their name banners off their music stands before beginning to file of stage and take their instruments back behind the curtains.

Kumiko was sure to refrain from speaking for the moment. She stood still as the others filed out around her, and she merely shared glances with her friends and classmates as they passed her by – Sapphire, Asuka, Shuuichi...

She waited for one person in particular.

As soon as Reina was next to her, Kumiko moved beside her immediately, walking off with her.

Once they were back in the large room they'd been waiting in before, the students released a collective sigh, then automatically broke out into relieved comments and exclamations. They all put their instruments down, some knelt down or slumped against the wall, and others hugged.

Kumiko and Reina were in both groups.

After placing their respective instruments onto the floor, they didn't need to speak before they wrapped their arms around one another and sighed heavily.

Kumiko slumped to her knees, weak with relief as she let out a withering breath. Reina collapsed with her, still panting slightly, her heart thumping. Kumiko could feel it, and she squeezed the girl's back tighter, whimpering into her girlfriend's shoulder.

"Reina..." she mumbled.

The black-haired girl returned the mutter of her girlfriend's name.

"Kumiko..."

For a few minutes, they remained like that, trembling slightly in one another's arms as they absorbed the reality of it all coming to an end.

Amongst the commotion and sounds of the people around them, no one took much notice of the two girls on the floor. They dared to share a brief kiss before brushing their cheeks together, keeping close as their hearts finally began to calm down.

Even so, Kumiko refused to let go of Reina for a long while.

"Reina..." she whispered again. "We did it..."

Reina nodded slowly.

"We finished competing, but we didn't get scored yet. We can't know for sure if we did it just yet..." she pointed out. "But yes... we've finished performing and we did the very best we could. It feels really good."

"Yeah," Kumiko agreed. "I just hope... the results are better than last time..." She didn't want to see Reina so upset like that ever again.

All Kumiko knew was that this time, if they didn't succeed, she would share Reina's pain rather than be detached from it like in the past.

The brunette pulled away slightly, brushing her nose against Reina's before bumping their lips together in another short, soft kiss.

After that, they somehow managed to get to their feet once more, then made their way over to their friends to share their feelings about the competition. They put their instruments back into their cases and put them aside in rows by the walls.

As the remaining bands performed, Kitauji's students stayed in the waiting room until the competition was officially announced to be over.

At that point, Taki-sensei called them all to attention and then had them gather in the auditorium to prepare for the scores.

All the while – as they walked and as they sat and as they waited – Kumiko maintained a tight grip on Reina's hand.

They waited as everyone settled in, the lights dim aside from the ones over the stage. The minutes ticked by with almost agonizing slowness now, and Kumiko kept stealing glances at her girlfriend.

Reina's eyes were restlessly sweeping the room, focusing on the stage and then flicking away. This nervousness wasn't like her, and Kumiko gave her hand a gentle squeeze.

"Reina, what's the matter?"

The black-haired girl flashed her gaze to the brunette, her lips pursed into a firm line.

"It's just..." she sighed, lowering her voice so no others could overhear. "Was it alright? My solo. If it wasn't good, I might've cost us the points-"

"Reina~" Kumiko hummed playfully, tugging the girl's wrist to have her lean sideways. "You're worrying about the _last_ thing you need to worry about. Your solo was perfect. If we win, it's because _your_ incredible solo brought us to victory."

Reina swallowed and fidgeted a bit in her seat, as though debating something internally with herself. Whispers of anticipation were still weaving through the gathered audience as they awaited the scores, so she could infer they still had a bit of time before the verdict was given.

Therefore, she decided it was time to act.

"Kumiko."

"Hm?"

"There's something... I want you to see."

Curiously, the brunette tilted her head and raised an eyebrow.

"Right now?"

"Yes."

Kumiko watched as her girlfriend reached forward toward the back pocket of the seat in front of her, where small booklets and pamphlets had been stored for easy access. Her fingers slid over the most familiar one – the pamphlet containing the information about today's music competition.

Reina extracted it and unfolded it, opening it to reveal the inside contents to the girl beside her.

"What is it?" Kumiko murmured softly, peering down into Reina's lap. She herself hadn't had time to look at the pamphlet yet that morning, and she didn't think there would've been anything in them of interest to her anyway.

Clearly, she was mistaken.

Her eyes scanned the columns of minimized text aimlessly, not certain of what she should be seeking. Reina guided her to a particular spot by pointing her index finger.

She was pointing to Kitauji's section, where it listed all of the band members' names and what instruments they played.

Kumiko's eyes were drawn to her own name naturally, but Reina was pointing to hers.

As Kumiko flashed her gaze to her girlfriend's name, her jaw silently dropped at what the pamphlet said:

 _"Reina Kousaka on trumpet solos has proudly dedicated her performance to Kumiko Oumae."_

For a moment, Kumiko wasn't sure if she was awake or simply finding herself in a dream. She felt a little lightheaded and doubtful that this was reality.

But when a warm feeling started curling up in her chest, she couldn't deny it.

She swallowed, unable to tear her eyes away from the paper for a moment, reading and re-reading the line of text as many times as she could.

Meanwhile, Reina sat with her posture erect and breathing clipped as she awaited her girlfriend's reaction. But after a minute of silence, she was getting too apprehensive by Kumiko's lack of words, so the black-haired girl spoke softly to her.

"Kumiko...? Sorry. I probably should have asked you about it first. It's just that I-"

" _Reina!_ "

With a joyful cry of her name loud enough to draw the attention of most people around them, Kumiko threw her arms around her girlfriend's shoulders and squeezed tightly. She peppered kisses over Reina's cheek, not caring who was looking at them as she all but squealed.

"Reina, Reina! Thank you, thank you so much!"

Reina swayed within her arms, dazed for a moment until she could find the sense to lift her hands and return the hug.

"So... did you like it?"

"Like it?" she gasped. "I _loved_ it, Reina! But now knowing that incredible solo you played... that it was all for me... Reina..." Kumiko opened one hand and brushed it over Reina's opposite cheek, turning her face so their eyes could meet directly.

The lighting was dim, and she didn't care who might've seen them now, anyway.

She kissed her girlfriend's lips, unable to wipe the smile off of her own.

Reina was a little taken aback at first, but she quickly ignored any fear of being seen; they'd planned to reveal their relationship today, anyway.

Kumiko kissed her for several seconds before ultimately pulling away, her hazel eyes still bright and lips still smiling.

"I can't believe it... that amazing solo you played... and you dedicated it to me? That's the best thing ever, Reina." She sighed, resting her head on the girl's shoulder. "Well, second only to dating you."

Reina let her hand find Kumiko's, and their fingers interlocked.

"I'm glad you liked it."

Kumiko kept the pamphlet secure in her lap, intent to take it home with her and remember Reina's solo dedication for the rest of her life.

It was then lights over the stage flickered a few times, and instantly the murmuring audience was swept over by a wave of silence.

Kumiko said nothing, only tightened her grip on Reina's hand.

 _This is it..._

She shook her head a little bit in order to wake herself up, to remind herself this was real.

There was a beat of absolute silence as everyone held their breaths.

Then, the banner at the top of the stage was released, and the scores of the Kansai Competition were revealed.

Kumiko couldn't believe her eyes, and judging buy the silence of her friends around her, they couldn't either. Reina's thin, wobbling voice was the first thing she heard.

"Kumiko..."

Her voice was almost inaudible, and for a moment, Kumiko thought the band had actually lost and her eyes were only playing tricks on her. At least until the people around her started to cry out and gasp.

"We- We did it!"

"Gold!"

Kumiko blinked in disbelief, tears rolling down her cheeks as she read over the banner again and again, just to make absolutely certain. When she parted her lips, no sound came out the first time, so she needed to swallow and try again.

"Th...That's..."

"Kumiko..."

Reina's voice was a gasp this time, somewhat louder, more emotional.

Still, the brunette couldn't tear her eyes away from the score.

 _Gold..._

"Reina..."

" _Kumiko!_ "

It was Reina's turn to throw her arms around her girlfriend, tears already pouring down either side of her face.

But it wasn't like last time.

Last time, her tears had been bitter, pained, and Kumiko knew she must've felt sick to her stomach back then.

And she herself had been uncaring about the scores, and she'd let Reina suffer alone.

But now, she was glad she could share the joy with her.

Their hearts were soaring, warm wetness running down their faces and soaking their uniforms.

Rather than pain this time, it was a fuzzy feeling Reina experienced, as though her body was full of cotton. Her chest did hurt a little bit with how hard her heart was pounding, but with Kumiko there to embrace her closely, the discomfort didn't last.

At last, Kumiko tore her gaze away from the banner, content that she'd read it correctly. Instead, she turned her eyes to Reina where she clung to her side.

She listened to the people around her cheering and crying in relief as well, but more than anything, she listened to Reina's soft sobs. Kumiko's own name was peppered in between the little gasps.

Kumiko ducked her face into her sleeve to temporarily wipe her eyes, but the tears were back within seconds.

"Reina... We won. You did it... It's because of your solo."

"No..." she mumbled. "It's because... because I wanted to play for you, Kumiko. If not for you, I wouldn't have practiced as hard or as much as I did. I wouldn't have been driven this much. I... wanted to win for _you_."

"And you did," Kumiko breathed into her girlfriend's dark hair. "You did, Reina. We did it. Thank you."

She turned her face and kissed her once again, just a small one in order to allow them both the room to breathe.

They tasted salt on the other's lips, but those lips never lost their smiles all the while.

It was about ten minutes later when the students were able to compose themselves enough to stand again, and start filing out of the room to head back toward their respective advisors.

Kumiko was sure to take her pamphlet with her and slip it into her uniform's pocket.

She then used both hands to help Reina to her feet, as she was still trembling. Kumiko knew her girlfriend was more strongly affected by these intense emotions at the present because she'd experienced the failure full-force in the past.

So she took the liberty upon herself to keep an arm around the girl to support and steady her as they walked.

Reina wiped her eyes over her sleeve repeatedly, not fancying the idea of everyone else seeing her cry.

That was a privilege Kumiko alone was granted.

There was a lot to do after that.

The band members all engaged in group hugs, upperclassmen hugging their underclassmen and vice versa.

Asuka pulled every euphonium player into a group hug, ruffling hair and congratulating them all, playfully declaring that the boys would be taking them all out to dinner now.

Yuuko sobbed loudly as she clung to Kaori, but was interrupted by Natsuki's teasing poke to her side which made the blonde squeak. But she couldn't even be angry at Natsuki, and she ended up throwing herself at the chestnut-haired girl too, and blubbering into her shirt.

Hazuki found Sapphire and hugged her tearfully, jumping up and down as she blurted compliments and words of congratulations.

For a few minutes, Kumiko simply continued to hold onto Reina, rubbing the girl's back as she continued to cry, hiding her face in Kumiko's collar. Kumiko was still tearful herself, but she was laughing a little at how much Reina was still sobbing.

"There, there. I'm glad you're so happy, Reina. You deserve this."

Reina tried to reply that they _all_ deserved it, but the words failed her. Her fingers curled and clung tighter to Kumiko's blazer, and her voice came out in choppy whimpers.

When at last she lifted her head, it was to kiss Kumiko again.

The brunette wiped her own eyes, and then Reina's for her, enjoying their last moment of privacy.

It was then Hazuki, Sapphire, Natsuki, Yuuko, Asuka, and Shuuichi meandered over, offering words of congratulations as well.

"You guys did great~!" Asuka sang. "How's it feel to win the gold?"

"It amazing!" Sapphire smiled.

"Yeah!" Hauzki added. "And next year, I'm gonna pass my audition and be performing with you guys!"

"Same here," Natsuki added. "And I'll be able to do _this_ whenever I want~" She poked Yuuko's side, making her jump and squeal again.

"H-Hey!"

They all shared a brief laugh as Yuuko pouted, and then the atmosphere changed into a more carefree one.

"Kousaka-san's solo was awesome," Shuuichi added.

It was his words that had Kumiko stiffening a bit as Reina pulled away from her and took a breath. She was sure everyone had read the pamphlet already and probably seen that Reina had dedicated her solo to her. It might give them away too early.

When she met Reina's eyes, those amethyst pools were determined as well, and she gave a brief nod.

Clearing her throat, Reina cast her gaze around to all of the six people gathered there before them.

"Everyone," she said. "There's something Kumiko would like to say."

The brunette nodded, puffing her chest out. Until she realized Reina had never intended on making the announcement herself.

"What?! You're gonna make me do it?" Kumiko wailed.

"Do you not want to?"

"N-No, I just..." she sighed. "Okay, fine."

Squaring her shoulders, she got the attention of everyone gathered there. She made sure they were all paying attention before she inhaled deeply and tried to configure her thoughts into words.

"Well... Reina and I... we had something we wanted to say after the competition, whether we won or lost. So we'd have something to look forward to either way."

She coyly turned her gaze back to Reina and offered her hand. The black-haired girl smiled softly and took it, squeezing her fingers by means of support. Kumiko took another deep breath, then met her friends' eyes again as she spoke.

"Reina and I... we... we're dating."

Natsuki, Yuuko, Asuka, Shuuichi, Sapphire, and Hazuki all blinked, then shrugged and replied in that order:

"Yeah, we kinda knew."

"It was pretty obvious..."

"C'mon, you two! What kind of idiots do you take us for, girls?"

"I think the whole school knew."

"Hazuki-chan, you owe me two-hundred yen!"

"Gaaah! Nooo! Kumiko, why couldn't you have waited another day?!"

Their casual reactions left both Kumiko and Reina speechless and dumbfounded.

Reina shook her head, blinking several times as she failed to find words. Kumiko's lips moved like a fish out of water's.

"Wait... you guys... you knew?"

"Ah, Kumiko?" Hazuki sighed. "Who _didn't_ know, might be the better question."

"You two were kind of obviously into each other," Natsuki added.

"I was wondering when you'd make it official," Asuka winked.

"I won our bet," Sapphire chuckled.

"Y-You guys _bet?!_ " Kumiko gaped. "I don't believe it..."

"Well, you _were_ making it kind of obvious," Hazuki mumbled. "That's why I gave you two those matching charms!"

Kumiko groaned, feeling heat rush to her cheeks.

"Okay, I knew _you'd_ caught on, Hazuki-chan. But how were we being obvious?"

"Oh, please," Yuuko sighed. "You two were always _conveniently_ going out into the hallway at the same time."

"You always look at each other during practice," Shuuichi said.

"Bedroom eyes~" Asuka cooed.

"Wh-What?!" Kumiko cried. "We did not!"

"I beg to differ," Natsuki grunted.

Kumiko shared another glance with Reina who was blushing as well.

But it wasn't long before the black-haired girl burst into that familiar, angelic laughter.

All of them paused for a minute to listen before Kumiko shooed the rest of them away.

"Okay, fine. You guys already knew. So leave us alone now..."

"You're the one who called us over here in the first place~" Asuka reminded her.

Kumiko groaned and tugged Reina's hand, pulling her away from the others as they all continued to laugh and celebrate.

But Kumiko found she couldn't be upset at all, not when Reina and all the others were smiling so much and having a good time.

Kumiko turned to her girlfriend once they'd gotten a bit more privacy, and she squeezed her fingers.

"Well, _that_ was a disaster."

"It was amusing."

"I guess it was."

They moved over to the wall, where several chairs had been set up, but were presently vacant. They occupied two of them, and only then did Reina let go of her girlfriend's hand.

"Kumiko. Could you untie it for me now?"

She turned away, giving Kumiko her back. Her long, black ponytail swayed down in between her shoulder blades.

"Destroying my own creation, huh?" Kumiko mused.

"You make it sound so artistic."

"It is, isn't it?"

The brunette chuckled a bit as she reached up with both hands, running her fingers lightly through Reina's tresses as she let her fingernails trace over the hair tie. Carefully, she began to loosen it and pulled Reina's hair through it, making sure not to tug a single strand.

Within seconds, her girlfriend's hair was free once more, falling down in a temporary black cascade. Kumiko ran her fingers through it a bit more, enjoying the feeling of silk against her skin.

Reina sighed and leaned back against her touch.

"We did it..." she murmured. "We won gold, and we made our relationship official."

"Yeah. Even though it seems everyone already knew about one of those things beforehand..."

Reina chuckled again, then turned around, motioning for Kumiko to give Reina her back.

It was the brunette's turn to close her eyes as Reina reached up, her fingers curling softly through those fluffy, brown locks to untie her hair. Kumiko enjoyed the feeling of Reina's gentle fingers running through her hair, coming together at the tight band restricting it.

The second it was un-looped and the pressure released, she let out a sigh, savoring Reina's touch through her hair.

Without a word, Kumiko turned around to rest their foreheads together, her hazel eyes boring into amethyst. Reina smiled back at her, her finger moving to the brunette's cheeks as Kumiko's hands rested on either side of Reina's waist.

"We did it," Kumiko murmured. "Together."

Reina nodded.

"And we'll do it again at Nationals."

"Yeah," she nodded. Kumiko closed her eyes and kissed the girl's cheek, feeling the action returned unto her as well. "Thanks for being with me, Reina."

Her thoughts went back to the night on the mountain, how Reina had hurt her ankle and Kumiko had carried her home.

That had been their first kiss.

And since then, they'd overcome a lot of troubles – Reina's illness, Kumiko's being bullied, the issues revolving around Taki-sensei, and now the competition.

And they'd shared many more kisses and remained together along the way.

Presently, Reina bumped their noses together and closed her eyes.

"I'm glad you've been with me through it all, Kumiko. I wouldn't have made it this far without you."

"Me neither. Thank you, Reina."

"Thank you, Kumiko."

Their breaths danced together for an instant, warm air against cool lips.

It was inevitable when their lips finally came together again, eyes closed as they shared a long, soulful kiss.

It was everything they'd been working for until now.

It was all they'd been through, all they'd strived for, all they'd lost, and all they'd achieved.

It was the end of one journey, and the beginning of another.

Because starting tomorrow, they'd be training for Nationals.

But for now, they simply enjoyed the moment, and the feeling of the other's lips on hers, the feeling of her fingers through her hair, over her cheeks, and against her sides.

They pulled apart, giggled together, and then pulled one another into a warm embrace.

Their hearts beat as one, a strong, steady rhythmic duet more beautiful than any song.

At it would continue for a long, long time.

* * *

 **A/N: Thank you all so much for reading! I hope you enjoyed my story!**

 **I will set this fic as completed for now. But if anyone would like to commission future chapters, and if I can find the time to write them, I may add more in the future! It's up to you guys!**

 **Please review!**


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